Hyderabad: In a swift development, Madhya Pradesh batter Rajat Patidar has been drafted into India’s Test squad as a replacement for Virat Kohli, who has withdrawn from the first two Tests against England due to personal reasons. Patidar, currently engaged in a match with India A against England Lions in Ahmedabad, will join the squad in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
With Kohli’s absence, India found themselves without a specialist batter in the reserve, except for KS Bharat and Dhruv Jurel, one of whom will be designated as the specialist wicketkeeper, confirmed by head coach Rahul Dravid.
Patidar’s recent performance includes a stellar 151 off 158 balls in the first four-day match against an England Lions attack featuring three internationals. The 30-year-old boasts impressive first-class cricket statistics, amassing 4000 runs at an average of 45.97, including 12 centuries. Patidar made his ODI debut against South Africa in December.
When questioned about opting for a less experienced player, Captain Rohit Sharma highlighted the importance of providing opportunities to emerging talents. “We did actually think about it (picking an experienced player), but all these younger players, when are they going to get their opportunity? That’s something we thought of as well,” Rohit stated on the eve of the first Test in Hyderabad.
Sharma acknowledged the challenge of sidelining experienced players but emphasized the need to integrate new talents into the setup under favorable conditions. The first Test of the five-match series between India and England is scheduled to commence in Hyderabad on January 25.