Despite facing a lot of criticism for his wicketkeeping in the recently concluded away Test series against the hosts South Africa, Indian wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel not lose his confidence. India lost the Test series by the 2-1 margin, while Parthiv dropped some crucial opportunities behind the stump.

Parthiv Patel, who was India’s reserve wicketkeeper for the recently concluded Test series, got opportunities for the final two Tests after the first wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha missed out due to an injury.

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Parthiv thinks that he kept well and showed a lot of character on the difficult pitch. He told to TOI, “I thought I kept well on that difficult wicket in the third Test at Johannesburg where the ball was keeping up and down. I also showed a lot of character by opening the innings and tried to contribute as much as I could both as a batsman and keeper.”

Parthiv said that the missed chances were not easy and he also claimed that he got the support from his team. He said, “If you watch those attempts, they were not easy ones. It was a 50-50 chance and as long as you are putting in your full effort into it and staying committed – no one says anything. That was the feedback I got from the team.”

Parthiv also said that the disfavour result never dropped the positive team morale. The 32-year old said, “The result might not have gone in our favour but I thought we played really well. During every session, the talk in the middle and in the dressing-room was about winning. There was a lot of positive intent which kept the boys on top of their game.”

In the 2018 IPL Auction, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) bought Parthiv Patel for INR 1.7 crores. Like the previous editions, Indian skipper Virat Kohli will lead the side in the upcoming IPL season. Talking about his national and present IPL skipper, Parthiv stated, “Virat brings a huge amount of positivity into the team and to the dressing-room. He always leads by example and the team rallies around him.”

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India will tour England in July, while the 5-match Test series will begin from 1^st August. However, Parthiv is not looking that far. Rather, the left-hand batsman giving more importance to improving himself. He said, “As I have said this before, selection is not in my hands at all. Each time I have played for India, I have looked to give my 100%. I am looking to always improve my game and fitness levels and show consistency in performances.”