Former Indian cricket legend, Gautam Gambhir praised Harshal Patel for his outstanding performance in his international debut versus New Zealand in the 2nd T20I on Friday, November 19. The speedster replaced Mohammed Siraj, who hurt his finger in the 1st T20I, which the Men in Blue won to secure a 2-0 lead in the 3-match series. Here is what Gautam Gambhir Speaks About Harshal Patel’s Effort.
Gambhir, who quit from all aspects of cricket in December 2018, stated that Harshal did not appear to be playing his debut match in the national color. The experience stated that performing domestic cricket for a long period, as well as a strong performance in the IPL 2021, benefited the quick to a great extent.
Gautam Gambhir Speaks About Harshal Patel’s Effort
“Harshal Patel was unbelievable. It never looked like he was playing his first game. Very impressed with his effort. That is what 8-10 years of first-class cricket and a fabulous IPL season can do to you”.
“You play your first game for India; you know your game much better. You are no more a rookie and if you have done that in IPL, which is high-quality cricket, when you have had that kind of success, you come here and feel you can continue doing the same thing”.
“That is what Harshal has done tonight. Really happy for him because he has delivered on the big stage today,” Gambhir said.
The ultimate goal for any player is to play for the country: Harshal Patel
Harshal completed with numbers of 4-0-25-2 on Friday, including important wickets of Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips. Mostly on the brilliance of his stint, India limited New Zealand to 153 and ultimately won the match by 7 wickets with 16 balls remaining.
Harshal joined the series after winning the Purple Cap in the IPL 2021. He also scored a hat-trick against the five-time IPL winners, Mumbai Indians. Following the match on Friday, Patel expressed his gratefulness to sport the Indian jersey.
“It’s a great feeling playing for the country. I love the game and the ultimate goal for any player is to play for the country, it’s an honour, it’s a privilege and I’m not going to take it for granted,” Patel said.
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