Patel may have been considered a curious selection in India's team for the first test in Hamilton last week.
His form hardly warranted inclusion after a one-day international campaign best remembered for him being removed from the Indian attack by umpire Rudi Koertzen in Christchurch after firing two waist high full tosses at Kyle Mills.
Dropped from the last two matches of the series to accommodate Ishant Sharma's return from a shoulder injury, there was a suspicion India might be sending the wrong medium-fast fast bowler home when Praveen Kumar boarded the plane with the ODI specialists.
With Kumar back on the subcontinent, Patel still had to get the nod ahead of Lakshmipathy Balaji and the uncapped Dhawal Kulkarni.
But captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni always maintained faith in the 25-year-old from Gujarat and it was justified when Patel recorded a match analysis of five for 120 -- the most wickets an Indian quick managed at Seddon Park.
Zaheer Khan and Ishant caused the initial damage when New Zealand collapsed on the opening morning but Patel's role as the third seamer was also instrumental in India completing a 10-wicket win.
Patel could have been forgiven for approaching his 10th test with a sense of trepidation.
His 9.2 overs in three ODIs cost 9.96 runs apiece with Christchurch the obvious lowlight -- 0-79 from 7.2.
However, he silenced some doubters with three for 60 from 18 overs in New Zealand's meagre first innings.
Brendon McCullum sparred a wide delivery to the slips cordon, top scorer Daniel Vettori was gloved down the leg side to end his 186-run stand for the seventh wicket with Jesse Ryder and then Patel found himself on a hattrick by yorking Mills.
Patel continued to torment Mills in the second innings when he got a delivery to reverse swing beautifully and thud into the nightwatchman's pad on the last ball of day three.
Key batsman Ross Taylor was his other victim when he steered a delivery to gully having made a stodgy four from 30 balls.
Patel's impact was marginalised amid Harbhajan Singh's haul of six for 63 on the final day but Dhoni took quiet satisfaction in his hunch coming off.
Dhoni never held Patel's one-day stats against him reasoning as third seamer he was often at a disadvantage by bowling during the second power play when batsmen might be set.
Flat pitches and short boundaries hardly helped -- as Mills would attest -- but crucially the test series is not subject to restrictions.
"He didn't get much opportunity (in the ODIs)," Dhoni said.
"If the opposition gets a good start the bowler is thinking about not giving up runs instead of taking wickets especially after your team has scored 300," he said, referring to the Christchurch contest.
"A first change bowler is the most difficult role if the opposition have not lost a wicket -- they will go after you.
"In the test Munaf was up to the mark. We didn't want him to bowl eight or nine over spells. He is a short-spell quickie whom you give three to four overs.
"He ran in hard, bowled consistently and did not give much room and slowly he built up decent pace.
"You don't just want to bowl in the right areas, you need to bowl at a decent speed as well."
Patel maintained his pace in the late 130kph range, his accuracy and exploited the scant assistance the pitch offered.
Despite making his debut against England at Mohali in 2006, Patel has been dogged by injury and concern that he might not be ideal third seamer.
Regardless of a chequered history Patel is assured on adding an 11th test cap today when he confronts another pitch reputedly tailormade for batting.
