Parthiv Patel named as Wriddhiman Saha’s replacement for Mohali Test

Eight years after playing his final Test match for India, Parthiv Patel has been called back into the Indian squad for the third Test match against England in Mohali. The replacement comes as one of a few that has been prevalent given the poor form of some of the players. However, the inclusion of Parthiv Patel comes following an injury to first-choice keeper Wriddhiman Shah.

The 31-year old Saha was the obvious choice to take on the gloves following the retirement of then skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. However, the fact of the matter remains that Parthiv Patel’s batsmanship can come in handy when required. Moreover, given the fact that he is left-handed also goes on to add to the fact that he is a bonus for the team to say the least.

India entertains England in the third Test in Mohali, something that would indeed prove to be a respite for the English players given the generosity of the conditions in the venue. However, with a spinning wicket expected to be provided for the same, it seems quite clear that the Indians would certainly be once again the favorites to clinch a win following the events that took place at Vizag.

Parthiv Patel makes his way into the Indian team following reasonably decent performances against the likes of Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy. He will subsequently miss the following encounter, the seventh round of the Ranji Trophy and will also hand over the captaincy of the Gujarat team. Although he has not had the best of times with the bat, Parthiv has been selected based on his international experience, something that many Indian wicketkeepers do not have.

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The surprise that has come to the light is certainly the fact that Rishabh Pant has been overlooked for a spot. The 19-year old left-handed batsman has a wonderful record in the Ranji Trophy thus far, having been the highest run-getter in the current edition of the competition with 874 runs to his name. He has been kept on standby for the time being.