Rajat Patidar, who was a part of India's team for the fourth Test match in the ongoing series against England, missed out on the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala, beginning Thursday. Patidar reportedly injured himself during the Team's practice session on Wednesday, 6th March, 2024. (Scorecard |IND Vs ENG Day 1 Blog | Streaming | Preview | Cricket News)
“Rajat Patidar got hit on his left ankle during Team India's practice session on March 6, 2024. He pulled up sore on the morning of the game and was not available for selection for the 5th Test,” said the BCCI in a statement.
Subsequently, the Indian cricket team announced one change in their side for the 5th Test against England. Devdutt Padikkal replaced Patidar, making his Test debut and becoming the 314th player to represent the team in Test match cricket.
"We would have batted first as well. We have done really well so far this series and an opportunity to finish on a high. There should be good bounce on this pitch than the games before in this series. Good pitch to bat on and I don't think it will deteriorate that much. Ash has been a real stalwart of Indian cricket. Such a proud moment for him, his nation and the family. We will be rooting for him to do the magic. Bumrah is back, Akash Deep misses out. Devdutt Padikkal makes his debut as Patidar got injured last evening," Indian captain Rohit Sharma revealed while speaking at the toss.
Rajat Patidar impressed one and all with brilliant performances in the recent past. He has played 58 first-class matches, scoring 4063 runs at an average of 43.68, including 22 fifties and 12 centuries.
However, Patidar failed to replicate his performances in the three Tests that he played in this series. The right-hander managed to score only 63 runs from six innings at a disappointing average of 10.5
