"If his attitude is catchy and if he is a likable character"- AB de Villiers on why India can back Rajat Patidar despite horrific form vs England
Former South African captain AB de Villiers feels India may continue to show faith in Rajat Patidar despite the latter's modest returns in the ongoing Test series against England.
Patidar has scored just 63 runs in three Tests at an appalling average of 10.5 and has looked like a shadow of the prolific run-scorer he had been in domestic cricket and for India A. However, India have already wrapped up the five-match series 3-1 with a game still to play, and De Villiers feels the hosts might fancy giving Patidar a longer rope.
In a video on his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers said about Patidar's future (7:12):
"Rajat Patidar not having the series of a lifetime or the one to remember. But the good thing about this Indian team and the culture is that you will survive in that side because of the great cricket they are playing and the results coming their way."
"If his attitude is catchy and if he is a likable character in the dressing room, Rohit and the selection panel will have the ability to say, 'Hold on, we do believe this guy has a future and we see him as a part of the team moving forward. Even though he hasn't been scoring runs, let's give him a longer run,'" he added.
The BCCI has confirmed that KL Rahul has been ruled out of the fifth Test in Dharamshala. This means that the hosts have the option of either backing Patidar or looking at another debutant in Devdutt Padikkal.
AB de Villiers on India's team culture
AB de Villiers also shed light on how India have had different players putting their hands up in crunch situations throughout the series, especially during the Ranchi Test.
While the experienced Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav showed their class, young Dhruv Jurel and debutant Akash Deep also stepped up when it mattered the most.
"It's just incredible how these guys keep on performing, and it's not always the same guys, which tells me there's a really good culture in this team, keeping in mind the youngsters coming through as well. There has got to be a good culture in the team if you get youngsters and different players to stand up every time," De Villiers stated (5:02).
While the hosts have already sealed the series, India and England still have 12 World Test Championship (WTC) points to play for in Dharamshala. The final Test of the enthralling series will begin on March 7.