Indian batter Rajat Patidar has recently spoken about taking inspiration from Team India batting legend and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) teammate Virat Kohli ahead of the second Test against England, starting on February 2 in Vishakhapatnam.
Patidar received his maiden Test call-up for two Tests against visiting England. Interestingly, the 27-year-old was added to India Test squad as a replacement for Virat Kohli, who returned home due to personal reasons and is expected to feature in the third Test in Rajkot.
In a video shared by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Rajat Patidar said that he always observe Kohli's batting behind the nets, praising his footwork and body movement. The Madhya Pradesh Batter added that he enjoys former Team India's captain batting and willing to add those skills to his batting.
"I always observe his (Virat Kohli) batting from the back of the nets, especially his footwork and body movement while batting is amazing. I enjoy watching him bat. I want to add those skills. It's not easy, but am relentless about it."
Rajat Patidar didn't feature for Team India in the Test series opener against England. However, he is expected to make his Test debut in Vizag as Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul have been ruled out of the second Test due to respective injuries.
Patidar made his international debut for Team in an ODI match against South Africa in December last year, receiving his maiden captain from stand-in skipper KL Rahul.
Rajat Patidar on observing Rohit Sharma tackling opponent's fielding
Indian batter Rajat Patidar has spoken on how he tries to learn from Rohit Sharma in tackling the opponent's fielding setup during the match. The right-handed batter added that he has been resorting to aggressive style of batting since playing domestic cricket.
"I have an aggressive batting style and have batted like this since domestic cricket. It's all about how you prepare. It has become a habit now." Patidar said.
"I study the pattern of opponent bowlers, how they place their field, and I observe how Rohit bhai tackles the field positions. I try to add these learnings into my game." he added.
Meanwhile, India are currently 0-1 in the five-match Test series against England. Rohit Sharma-led side will look to bounce back following humiliating first Test defeat in Hyderabad.
