Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel has said that he doesn’t consider himself unlucky to have played for India for a rather short time because of the legendary MS Dhoni. According to him, he got the opportunity before Dhoni but he failed to grab it.
Notably, Parthiv Patel made his Test debut way back in 2002 in England at the age of 17. However, he ended up playing only 25 Tests, 38 ODIs and two T20Is for the country. And, in Dhoni’s presence, Parthiv rarely got to see in the playing eleven.
While speaking on The Curtly Karishma Show, the former keeper-batsman has also admitted that he couldn’t capitalize on the opportunities he got.
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“Honestly speaking, I don’t look at it that way (whether he was unlucky). I had the first crack at the Indian team, before Dhoni,” Parthiv Patel said. “I was dropped because my performances were not up to the mark in international cricket. Then MS Dhoni came in. I can’t say that I was unlucky because I did not get to play more. I had already played 19 Test matches before getting dropped. I also cannot say that I did not get enough opportunities. 19 Test matches is a lot.”
He continued: “Having said, after MS Dhoni came in, maybe I would have made a comeback. But I don’t see myself as unlucky. Coming from a place where I was, I feel absolute privilege at where I am. 25 Test matches, I would have taken that with both hands in 2002, when I made my Test debut,” he added.
However, in a short international career, Parthiv Patel had shown his calibre and also finished with 10 half-centuries. but it was his poor wicket-keeping that somehow led him out of the squad. Parthiv Patel also played multiple teams in the IPL where he was featured in139 games, scoring 2848 runs at a strike rate of 120.78. However, he has played with the legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman as well.
When he was asked to compare that team with the current one, leading by Virat Kohli, the veteran admitted that the current side has more depth.
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“Obviously, there is a debate over which is the greatest Indian team. The eras were different. You cannot just compare teams. What this team is doing right now is completely unbelievable. That does not mean that the teams of the past were not that great,” Parthiv Patel said.”In early 2000s, no one thought India could win even a Test match in England or Australia. The Headingley Test in 2002 was an absolute green top, where India went on to win. In 2007, India won a series in England. But yes, I would say this side has more options. There are a lot of replacements ready.”
