Rajat Patidar, who recently made his Test debut for India in the second Test against England, shared his thoughts on his long wait for an opportunity in the national team. Despite performing well in domestic cricket, Patidar had to bide his time due to the presence of established players like Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, and Ajinkya Rahane in the middle order. However, with Kohli and KL Rahul unavailable for selection, Patidar finally got his chance, receiving his maiden Test cap from former cricketer Zaheer Khan.
Batting at number five, Patidar played a crucial role, forming a valuable partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal before being dismissed for 32 runs. Reflecting on his delayed debut, Patidar acknowledged that waiting for opportunities is a common experience in Indian cricket, given the abundance of talented players vying for a spot in the national team. Despite the long wait, Patidar expressed his satisfaction with his debut and revealed that he felt no pressure, having slept well the night before his big day.
“Waiting for so long is common in Indian cricket. There are a 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, as quoted by India Today.
“Going into the middle, there was no pressure as I have played a lot of games in domestic cricket. I slept well last night. It was normal for me,” he added.
Patidar also praised his batting partner, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who stole the show on Day 1 with an unbeaten 179 runs, helping India reach 336-6. Describing Jaiswal as a very good player with a special ability, Patidar highlighted their partnership’s goal to prolong their innings as much as possible.
“We were talking about taking the game as long as possible. My innings, it was good but I have to make it big. Talking about Yashasvi, he is a very good player. The way he takes on the bowlers, he has special ability in him,” said Patidar.
As Patidar continues his journey in international cricket, fans can expect to see more of his contributions on the field as he aims to make a lasting impact in the Indian team.
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