CHENNAI: Rajat Patidar with his second consecutive century against Goa on Sunday, put his team Madhya Pradesh in hunt for a berth in the knockout phase of the Vijay Hazare Trophy here at Chepauk. His first ton in the tournament came on Friday in a winning cause against Tamil Nadu. Rajat, who relishes playing on the front foot, sent the Goa fielders on a leather hunt and helped his team win by eight wickets and with 24 overs to spare.
“It feels good to get to score back-to-back hundreds at this level. The wicket at Chepauk was good, the ball was coming on to the bat well and I used the opportunity to score some runs for my side,” said an elated Rajat.With net run-rate expected to come into equation for the qualification to the knockout stages, Rajat and Naman Ojha batted at a brisk pace to maintain a healthy run-rate for their team.Madhya Pradesh, with the win against Goa, are currently tied with Mumbai with 12 points, but are third because of their net run-rate. Having lost their first two matches, they have come back strongly, notching up three successive wins on the trot.
At the forefront of their turnaround is Rajat, whose two big centuries have put the side in contention for the knockouts. “It is a boon to have a player like Naman Ojha at the other end. We keep chatting often, have good understanding and that helps us while running between the wickets. Plus his (Naman’s) inputs on how to play on a particular wicket and how to handle a particular bowler or situation has helped me evolve as a player,” said Rajat.
Former India batsman Amay Khurasiya, who also happens to be the coach at the MPCA Academy, and has been instrumental in Rajat’s development, has credited the opener’s quick learning skills for the back-to-back centuries.“Rajat is a talented and hard working boy. He is good learner, and has a hunger for runs. I have just helped in his game here and there and not much.“He started his Ranji career with a bang two seasons ago with three tons. He needs to similarly score heavily during the Ranji Trophy. There is no shortcut for success. With the competition around you, one needs to have the backing of strong performances to argue your case,” said Khurasiya.
Like most of the unheralded domestic players, Rajat is another cricketer who is looking at possibilities to turn out in TNCA’s First Division league. “It (Chennai) is a nice place to play for a cricketer. I have heard about the competitive TNCA league, and if I do get an offer I am willing to play in the Chennai league,” he said.
ashok.v@newindianexpress.com