Madhya Pradesh batter Rajat Patidar might receive his maiden Test cap in the second match of the ongoing series against England, due to get underway on February 2 in Vizag.
Speaking ahead of the second Test, Patidar said that getting his first Test call-up was special. The batter was out of action for the major chunk of the 2023 season due to an Achilles Heel injury but got a chance to make his ODI debut by the end of last year against South Africa.
Patidar boasts an impressive first-class record, scoring 4000 runs from 55 matches at an average of 45.97 with 12 hundreds and 22 half-centuries. He earned a Test call-up on the back of twin centuries (111 and 151) against the England Lions last month.
"Getting my first Test call-up soon after my recovery has to be my happiest moment. It is my dream to represent my country in Test cricket. It felt very good to get that call. I was playing India A matches and it felt really good," Patidar said in a video posted by the BCCI on X.
The 30-year-old also spoke about being around the India camp and said that he had been learning tricks of the trade from head coach Rahul Dravid and skipper Rohit Sharma.
"I have played a lot of matches in the domestic circuit with some of the India players. I have been interacting with Rahul Dravid sir since the last 2 series. I have not spoken to Rohit Sharma a lot but in this tour, I have listened to him talk about how to bat in different conditions. That gives me a lot of confidence," Patidar stated.
"I have an aggressive batting style and have batted like this since my domestic cricket debut. I have a habit of playing like that and have not changed a lot of things. I am learning how to tackle field placements from Rohit Sharma," he added.
Rajat Patidar was added to the Indian squad as Virat Kohli’s replacement after the star batter pulled out of the first two Tests of the five-match series against England due to personal reasons.
Patidar has seen how Kohli goes about his business while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Patidar admitted that whenever Kohli bats in the nets, he stands behind and focuses on his technique.
"Whenever Virat Kohli bats in the nets, I stand behind him and watch his movements. Especially his footwork and body movement against the balls pitched up to him, that I am trying to add relentlessly," he concluded.
