Rajat Patidar failed to convert a good start into a big score on Test debut but his 72-ball displayed that he belongs to Test cricket. The Madhya Pradesh batter who waited for a long time to make his Test debut scored 32 runs off 72 balls which was laced with three boundaries including a reverse sweep.
Patidar got a call-up in the squad after scoring back-to-back hundreds against England Lions for India A.
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The 30-year-old received his Test cap from veteran paceman Zaheer Khan after the day’s play he talked about the long wait for his Test debut.
“Waiting for so long is common in Indian cricket (laughs). There are lot of players. I was just focusing on things that are in my hands. So at the age of 30 I came here, feeling pretty good,” said Patidar in the post-match press conference.
Patidar, who made his first-class debut with Madhya Pradesh way back in 2015, knew that he was going to be part of the playing eleven a day before the game.
Talking about representing India, Patidar said there was no pressure on him as years of toil in the domestic circuit made him well-equipped.
“It was a dream come true moment for me. Representing the country is a dream for every player. Going into the middle, there was no pressure as I have played lot of games in domestic cricket. I slept well last night. It was normal for me,” Patidar said after the close of play.
“I have also played two series at the A level (NZ and England). It gives a lot of confidence when you play at that level. I gained in confidence playing against Lions (recently). The two hundreds against Lions were very crucial for me.”
The Test debut on Friday and ODI cap last month came after a major setback for Patidar, who missed the whole of IPL last year due to an Achilles heel injury that required surgery.
He also praised Yashavi Jaiswal’s special effort as he singlehandedly took India to 336 for six with an unbeaten 179 off 257 balls.
“We (Yashasvi and I) were talking about taking the game as long as possible. My innings, it was good but I have to make it big. Talking about Yashavi, he is a very good player. The way he takes on the bowlers, he has special ability in him.”
Heading into day two, Patidar said: “The wicket is really good to bat on. We will try to bat as long as we can.”
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