Eden Test: Can Jeetan Patel turn the tide against India?

NZ's Jeetan Patel during the second Test against India at Hyderabad in 2012. Pic/AFP

Jeetan Patel, an off-spinner of Indian origin, born and brought up in Wellington got another shot to feature in New Zealand's Test squad after Mark Craig was ruled out for the remainder of the ongoing Test series against India due to a side strain.

Patel, who made his Test debut against South Africa at Cape Town in 2006 tasted success at an early stage in his career. He played in India for the first time during the 2010-11 Test series and claimed three for 135 in the first innings at Ahmedabad. However, he went wicketless in the second innings after bowling 23 overs and going for 72 runs in a drawn match.

He then played a Test in Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium during the 2012 series when he scalped four wickets, giving away 100 runs. India convincingly beat the Kiwis by an innings and 115 runs. In the second Test of the same series played at the M Chinnaswami Stadium in Bangalore, Patel claimed three for 68. But India won by five wickets.

Patel, who has been a star performer for Warwickshire on the UK county circuit, also enjoyed some success while playing against Sri Lanka. Though he managed to take only a single wicket in the first Test of the 2011 series at Galle, he bounced back in the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground claiming four wickets in the first innings and two in the second. During the next tour in 2012 to the island nation he claimed three wickets in the first Test and one in the second Test.

As Patel had a pleasant outing against India and Sri Lanka, he was not that successful against England (eight wickets), Bangladesh (seven), West Indies (six), South Africa (four) and Australia (two).

Patel's form and earlier experience of bowling on Indian wickets may help the Kiwis in upcoming matches.