 Again, Patel struggled on a pitch not suited to spin bowling, however he managed to take his maiden (and last) Test wicket; that of Sanjay Manjrekar, caught by Graeme Hick.Patel's career looked to be in jeopardy during 1997, when a combination of injuries sustained while teaching PE and whilst batting for his club side ruled him out for most of the season.He returned the following season, and performed consistently for them through the following eight seasons.