The match saw the return of Kevin Pietersen in an England shirt for the first time since his fall-out with management last summer.
The South Africa-born batsman made an eye-catching 23 before being caught-and-bowled by his old adversary Yuvraj Singh, although Patel was still happy with his return.
"I think Kev started off his innings amazingly. That shows the character of the person and the player he is," said Patel.
"It's fantastic to have him as a member of the team. I think we need that out here - a bit of oomph to get us going.
"KP does it outstandingly well, and we're glad to have him back. He looks in fantastic nick ... shame he got out, but it's just the way it goes."