Patel first played for Wellington in 1999-2000, bowling 59 overs and captivating 5 for 145 in opposition to Auckland on his debut. Three middling seasons tagged along, and he seemed to be direction nowhere, by means of an average in the mid-forties. But after that he took 6 for 32 in opposition to Otago in the last State Championship match of 2004-05, forcing Wellington keen on the final in opposition to Auckland, which they gone astray. Out of the blue superior board of judges was noting his capability to make the ball sphere and float, not unlike a right-handed Daniel Vettori.

In August 2005, Bracewell obtained him to Zimbabwe for a one-day tournament and he played nine ODIs for the period of the season, in eight being either the super-sub or the subbed-out player, as his batting – even though improved than when he embarked on – is underwhelming. At home his 2 for 23 from ten overs throttled Sri Lanka at Wellington, and succeeded him the match honor, and after that three wickets at Christchurch lent a hand hold back West Indies as well. All this situate Patel in procession for a first Test cap, which came in opposition to South Africa at Cape Town in April 2006.

And he had a pleasant extended bowl, veering down 42 overs and confiscating Graeme Smith, Boeta Dippenaar and AB de Villiers at a cost of 117 runs. His bowling in cycle with Vettori twisted some of New Zealand’s best magic charms of the 2007 CB Series as the couple over and over again dehydrated up the runs. Patel’s hard work in Australia, collective with his agile and wholehearted fielding, earned him a position at the World Cup in the West Indies where he played six matches.