Reports: Dinesh Karthik to replace Parthiv Patel in the third Test

The Indian team is currently in a spot of bother after the Test series loss to South Africa. There are struggling with the team selection. The team selection was constantly questioned about since the beginning of this tour. Now, adding to the selection problems is the wicket-keeper position in the team.

Post MS Dhoni’s retirement, Wriddhiman Saha has been the first choice wicket-keeper in the team. But he struggled in the first test with the bat. Moreover, he also injured himself in that match forcing India to rope Parthiv Patel into the team. However, Patel wasn’t impressive with the gloves and might face the axe in the third test.

Dinesh Karthik to be roped in?

If the reports in The Times of India are to be believed, Dinesh Karthik might get a nod ahead of Parthiv in the third test. This would mean that India will go into the series with three different keepers in three matches. When MS was around, India had no problem with wicketkeeping options close to a decade. He was very handy with the bat and pushed the score as far as possible batting with the tailenders. Under the current circumstances, he would have been more than a handful for India. Also, Sunil Gavaskar recently opined he shouldn’t have retired so early.

Also, this is team India’s first major overseas assignment after MSD’s retirement. Team management called in Dinesh Karthik to South Africa just a week earlier to join Test side. It is seen as a clear indication that he might play the third test. He last played a Test match way back in 2010 against Bangladesh.

The reports in TOI further suggest that Parthiv took the blame for all the gaffes which he committed during the second Test match. Post the series defeat, skipper Virat Kohli had a word with few players and it is learned that Patel accepted his mistake during the meeting. Naman Ojha too was earlier tried as a backup keeper in 2015.

The likes of Sanju Samson, Rishab Pant and Ishan Kishan are no-where to be found in the race. They were tried as possible options for India-A. But none of them lived up to the expectations. So, the selectors are forced to rely on the senior options. None of the current players in the test squad made their debut when Patel and Karthik played their first match. From the fans’ perspective, they would be eager to watch Murali Vijay and DK play alongside with each other.

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