NEW DELHI: With just 63 runs in three matches so far against England, middle-order batter
Rajat Patidar
hasn't had a debut series he would have hoped for.
Patidar's underdelivery in the three Tests has even led to murmurs of Devdutt Padikkal replacing him in the fifth game in Dharamsala.
However, South African legend
AB de Villiers
believes the Indian team under
Rohit Sharma
and
Rahul Dravid
will give the 30-year-old a longer rope as the team has been doing pretty good despite Patidar's lean run.
India already have an unassailable 3-1 lead going into the Dharamsala Test.
"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," de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
"If Patidar's 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'," said the former South Africa captain.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra also weighed in Patidar's inclusion for the final Test, predicting his inclusion in the XI.
The fifth and final India-England Test begins from March 7.
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