Parthiv Patel by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Player:

PA Patel

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DateLine: 27th April 2009

 

Adam Gilchrist is Patel's role model: if he can bounce back and achieve even half the success Gilchrist has as a wicketkeeper-batsman, Indian cricket will be well served. Parthiv Patel became Test cricket's youngest wicketkeeper - at 17 years, 153 days - when called up to replace the injured Ajay Ratra for the second Test at Trent Bridge. He didn't do too badly either, scoring a gutsy, unbeaten 19 which helped stave off an Indian defeat. Parthivl's glovework has varied from the competent to the shoddy but then struggled to inspire confidence thereafter, especially when standing up to the spinners. His ability with the bat ensured that he got an extended run. However, batting performances weren't enough to gloss over increasingly sloppy work behind the stumps, and the selectors' patience finally ran out after the third Test of the home series against Australia, when he was replaced by Dinesh Karthik. Parthiv's form took a turn for the better in 2007, on a twin tour of Zimbabwe and Harare for India A, where he hit three hundreds and a half-century. In the first match of a series against South Africa A at home Parthiv opened up with a fourth century on the trot. In 2008, his efforts were rewarded with a call-up to the squad for the Test-series in Sri Lanka.