Former legend gives his views on Rajat Patidar playing in final Test vs England
ind vs eng
The Indians have already created history winning their 17th consecutive Home Test series after taking the series against England. There might be just one game left so far, but all the England team can do is get a consolation victory. The next game will be played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium in Dharamshala. The squad for the final Test has been announced and India will be looking to keep their dominance in this Test match as well.
Even though we know which players will be part of the playing squad, there are also certain players, that might not be a part of it. One of them is middle-order batter Rajat Patidar. Patidar had impressed the selectors after his performance in the Indian Premier League and domestic cricket, but his performance in this Test series has been extremely underwhelming. Patidar has only managed 63 runs in the 3 games he has played which might lead to him getting replaced in the final Test match.
ABD advises to stick with him
Certain people will be thinking that Patidar will be replaced with the likes of Devdutt Padikkal. However, South Africa legendary batter AB de Villiers has given his opinion on Patidar saying, “Rajat Patidar not having the series of a lifetime or the one to remember. But the good thing about this Indian team and the culture is that you will survive in that side because of the great cricket they are playing and the results coming their way.” AB has said this on his YouTube channel and has ended his statement stating, “ Even though he hasn’t been scoring runs, let’s give him a longer run.”
This statement made by Mr. 360 is valid since we have seen Patidar perform better in the past. This will be a make-or-break situation for the 30-year-old batter. There might be people saying that this should be a time when young players should also get an opportunity to shine, but maybe giving Patidar one final chance to prove himself will not hurt the team. We don’t know whether he will play the 5th Test after his last few performances which have been average. However, cricket is a game where you can never say never.
