In the morning Mohammed Shami (3/63) polished off the tail with England managing to add 15 runs to their overnight score of 268 for eight.
Coming back into the Test team after eight years, Patel did not look much jittery while wielding the willow compared to his blemishes while donning the big gloves as Indians lost only Murali Vijay (12) during the opening session.
That Patel's batting has improved tremendously is something that's known to one and all but what was reassuring was the confidence with which he tackled the new ball bowlers Jimmy Anderson and Chris Woakes.
It's never easy opening the batting after being informed at the eleventh hour with a regular opener out due to an injury.
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Nerves are bound to be there and more so if one has to open the batting on his comeback Test in the morning when the conditions are conducive for swing bowlers.
The shot of the morning certainly was a push past Anderson that raced to the boundary. It was not even a firm push let alone be called a drive. But the flow in his gentle push was there to be seen.
The wicket certainly eased out considerably although it's on the slower side. Understanding the nature of the strip, skipper Alastair Cook was seen removing the second and third slips early. The gully was also taken off as the lesser carry meant that balls won't fly off the surface.