3 reasons why Rajat Patidar should replace Virat Kohli for 1st India-England Test

Virat Kohli's absence from the first two Tests against England comes across as a huge blow to Team India, who will play their first home series in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The ace batter asked to be withdrawn from the squad due to personal reasons, after having touched down in Hyderabad to commence preparations for the series opener.

Although the team would have preferred Kohli in the middle order, they will have to consider other options in the playing XI as well as add some depth to the bench as well.

Several candidates like Cheteshwar Pujara, Sarfaraz Khan, and Rajat Patidar were in contention to replace Kohli. However, according to reports, Patidar has won the race.

Patidar recently made his international debut during the ODI series against South Africa. He has also been among the runs on the domestic circuit for quite a while, warranting his selection to the national red-ball team.

Now that Patidar's presence in the squad is almost confirmed, it remains to be seen how India reconstruct their middle order in Kohli's absence, particularly with a specialist wicketkeeper playing as well, instead of KL Rahul donning the gloves.

On that note, here are three reasons why Rajat Patidar should replace Virat Kohli for the first India-England Test.

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#1 Blistering form

The biggest factor that has worked in Patidar's favor is his recent form. The right-handed batter scored two consecutive hundreds against the England Lions on the ongoing shadow tour.

Patidar scored 111 runs off 141 deliveries in the first game of the tour, and then followed it up with a brilliant 151-run knock off 158 deliveries in the next contest. His knock came under great pressure as India were stranded at 24/4 at one stage. He ended up scoring almost two-thirds of the team's total single-handedly, with India 'A' getting bowled out for 227 runs in Ahmedabad.

While he did not have the greatest of scores in the handful of Ranji Trophy matches he played for Madhya Pradesh this season, his form was evident in the manner in which he played. He has been at his sublime best and he has attained a significant opportunity to make a case for himself in the Indian Test team in transition.

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#2 Brings an attacking flair into the XI

Quick runs may be in demand in the upcoming series, with England also embodying the same formula. Losing your wicket is sort of inevitable on rank turners, which are being predicted for the five-match series, and one way to look at it is to make the most of the time at the crease.

With India having solid, defensive players against spin in the form of KL Rahul, a more aggressive option at the other end is not the worst option. Shreyas Iyer is also known for taking on spinners, but his recent form has been a bit questionable.

His most recent knock against the England Lions saw him take on the bowlers and end up with a strike rate of 95.56, including 19 fours and five sixes. With England holding potentially four spinners in the playing XI including Joe Root, a similar approach may be needed to survive or even to shift the momentum.

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#3 Versatility

Rajat Patidar's inclusion opens a wide array of options for Team India as he can be slotted in the opening combination, or even at No.3 and No.4. Given that the hosts are not looking for another opening option, Patidar could feature at either No.3 or No.4.

Gill's start at No.3 has been disappointing, to say the least, and playing Patidar at No.3 to potentially hand Gill a chance at No.4 also arises as a left-field option, considering that he may be playing in the middle-order in the long run, particularly if his stint at No.3 continues to go downhill.

Will Rajat Patidar make it to the playing XI for the first Test against England in Hyderabad? Let us know what you think.