Rajat Patidar called-up for first two Tests against England

Rajat Patidar has been called-up to the India squad for the first two Tests against England, replacing Virat Kohli, who withdrew due to personal reasons. 

The right-hander has been in terrific form of late, scoring 151 against England Lions in Ahmedabad last week. He also scored 111 in the warm-up game against the Lions and most recently, was also part of the A side that toured South Africa.

Patidar attended BCCI's Naman awards on Tuesday in Hyderabad along with the rest of the team. The Madhya Pradesh batter made his debut for India recently in an One-Day International (ODI) against South Africa, where he scored 22, opening the batting. However, is picked in the upcoming Tests, he is most likely to slot in the middle-order.

Rinku Singh was earlier added to the India A squad for the second unofficial Test against the Lions, paving way for Patidar to be picked for the senior side.

The first Test against England gets underway on Thursday (January 25) in Hyderabad. India have not lost a Test series at home since 2012, which incidentally came against England.