‘If team wants me as batsman, I’m ready’
: There is something about Parthiv Patel. From a fairytale start to being dropped, going through the domestic grind and coming back into the reckoning -- he has done it all in the space of 15 years. From a carefree teenager to the glue that held Gujarat together during their maiden Ranji Trophy win, Parthiv has come a long way.
“At a young age, you usually don’t worry about anything. Same was the case when I was 17. It was just a dream come true for me (to represent India). I never sat and thought how big an opportunity was that. It was just a good time for me. The time of my life,” Parthiv told Hindustan Times.
“The main goal (now) is to improve my game, where I can get better, where I can help my team win tournaments. I want to be a better player every day.”
Parthiv’s international career has been an unusual one. An India Test cap in 2002 and by 2005 he’s out of the side with Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s arrival. In the next 12 years, he made some international appearances before receiving an unexpected boost late last year. Wriddhiman Saha suffered a thigh strain during the Test series against England and Parthiv was back in the Indian team. This wasn’t all. The Ranji Trophy win and being a part of Mumbai Indians’ record third IPL triumph summed up a rollercoaster year for the wicketkeeper batsman.
Since 2012-13, Parthiv has never averaged less than 45 in the Ranji Trophy. His show behind the stumps has improved significantly in the last two years. “I haven’t changed much in wicket-keeping as far as technique is concerned. The only thing that I have done is realistic practices -- in terms of taking catches, effecting stumpings.
“As far as batting is concerned, I’ve made a few changes -- especially in terms of initial movements. There is a conscious effort of scoring hundreds. I’ve always maintained the mentality that whenever I’m in the middle as a wicket-keeper, I’m a specialist wicket-keeper. Whenever I’m a specialist batsman,” he said.
With Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha and Dinesh Karthik performing exceptionally well in the domestic circuit, Parthiv is unperturbed with competition.
“When you are playing in a big country like India where 27-28 teams participate (in the domestic circuit), competition will always be there. You always have to be on your toes when want to play for your country.”
With fitness and performance he has maintained in the past few years, Parthiv feels he is ready to step into any role.
“I’m ready for any role the team management wants me to do. Whether it is opening, batting in the middle-order, playing as keeper-batsman, keeper-opener, I’ve enough experience to adjust to the conditions. On top of that, my belief has helped me stay afloat,” said Parthiv.