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'He can switch on and off in different formats': Gavaskar throws 29-year-old star's name for surprise India Test debut
Sunil Gavaskar spoke in detail about the player, explaining why Team India selectors should watch him closely for a potential Test debut.
Team India faced a heavy seven-wicket loss in the rescheduled fifth and final Test of the series against England earlier this week. England, riding on centuries from Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow in the second innings, chased down a 378-run target to ensure the series ended in a 2-2 draw at Edgbaston. The Indian team played with a makeshift opening duo of Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara, thanks to KL Rahul's injury and Rohit's Covid-19 infection. In addition, Hanuma Vihari played at no.3 in the Birmingham Test.
Earlier this year, the BCCI made significant changes in the Indian Test squad with the batting duo of Ajinkya Rahane and Pujara being dropped for the home series against Sri Lanka. While Pujara made a return, Rahane continues to sit out. In addition, Ishant Sharma has also been dropped from the squad.
The calendar now sees a series of T20Is and ODIs for India, with the side's next Test action in December when it takes on Bangladesh. When former India captain Sunil Gavaskar was asked if more players need to be looked at for a potential maiden call-up to the Test side, the India great named Rajat Patidar.
“When you look at Rajat Patidar, the way he played in the IPL… getting a fifty in a T20 game is a remarkable achievement; to score a hundred is unbelievable. The manner in which he scored the hundred in the playoffs, and then the hundred he scored in the Ranji Trophy shows that here is a batsman, who has the ability to switch on and off from different formats, and more importantly switch the bat speeds,” said Gavaskar on Sports Today.
“He had a slightly more controlled bat speed for the red ball game. So, he is somebody you definitely want to keep an eye out on,” the former India batter further said.
Patidar had slammed a century in the first innings of the Ranji Trophy final against Mumbai, and also scored the winning runs as Madhya Pradesh lifted a maiden title last month.
