Parthiv Patel Ignored Again
By Gaurang
November 27 2011
If Gujaratis were as mercurial as Bengalis and likely to throw violent trantrums when one of their own gets treated shabbily, one wonders if the Indian selectors would so easily have once again ignored Parthiv Patel for the squad to Australia.
When East Zone keeper Wridhiman Saha was chosen as understudy to Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the Test leg of India's tour to England earlier this year, it raised a few eyebrows, but one thought it was just a one-time thing. That Saha played only one tour match and had a batting average of exactly zero in his one innings further indicated that his selection was not based on merit.
Now on the equally important and challenging tour to Australia once again Parthiv Patel has been shut out, and Saha picked. The selection makes no sense on several levels. First of all Parthiv Patel is in superb knick both with bat and behind the stumps. In his last Ranji trophy match, captaining Gujarat, he scored his second consecutive century and made seven dismissals behind the stumps.
Secondly, Patel would have been ideal to fill in a dual role, that of back up keeper and back up opener. The seventeen member squad selected is rightly heavy on pace bowlers, who are both needed and likely to break down on a longish 4 Test match tour. This means that the selectors have not chosen any back up for the two front line openers, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. If one of them should not be available to play a Test, one of the three young middle order batsmen, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma or Ajinkya Rahane will be pressed into the opener's role, unless that selfless servant of Indian cricket, Rahul Dravid, is roped in to do the job instead. Neither scenario is ideal, and having a player who has opened in Test cricket successfully, like Parthiv Patel around, would have been a great insurance policy.
Finally, the message it sends to players like Patel and others who play their hearts out, and do everything and more to knock the selectoral doors down, is that the Captain's insecurities will be given greater deference than doing what is right for the team. One gets the distinct impression that Captain Dhoni is afraid of friendly competition. This is the only logical explanation for the continuing selection of Wridhiman Saha as back-up Test keeper instead of the more qualified and much more experienced Parthiv Patel.
Afterall, Dhoni has looked distinctly out of his depth as a batsman, whenever the ball has moved around a bit either in the air or off the pitch. Parthiv Patel in contrast has looked most secure playing in such conditions. It would be too obvious to say that Dhoni nixed his selection, but it certainly makes one wonder, why a player who hails from the same zone as the captain and has played exactly 1 Test and 3 ODIs is considered the ideal back up to the captain, when such a well qualified player for that role is ignored.
At least the selectors have picked Parthiv as the sole wicket keeper for the upcoming 5 ODIs against West Indies, and barring injury or a total loss of form, he will play all the games. However, with Gambhir and Sehwag and Rahane all in the side, he is likely to be demoted from his role as opener to No. 6 or 7 in the batting line up, and considering the weak West Indies attack, he is not likely to get to bat much in the series. If he has to impress it will be with the gloves, behind the stumps. Inadvertently this could be a real godsend for him as the only question about him has been his glovework. His batting and his fighting spirit were never in question.
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.
Otherwise there is no reason they pick Wriddhiman (Who?) Saha... over Parthiv Patel..for the Australia tour, especially as that would also give them a decent back up opener in case either Gambhir or Sehwag is unfit... right now there is NO back up opener...
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:11:26:16:56:51 by Birbal.
Such are the ways of our "Professional" jokers....err...selectors...
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:11:27:05:37:44 by Birbal.
I kinda felt likewise about R Ashwin for the longest time. It took a advert-driven rift between Dhoni and Bhajji for him to get the break - and a super human performance against WI to keep his place.
Bottomline, there is no hope for folks from the South in te India XI, and certain other States unless other factors precipitate their inclusion.
Guess he is good for giving Dhoni massages especially to the Kaptan's ego...
Harbhajan kept playing for sometime even after ad rift.So that cannot be the reason.
Selectors and captian both are professionals.
Dhoni, if he has to be chucked out from the test team, it would be first bcos of his captaincy, and not keeping/batting..and that can happen if we lose 4-0 to AUS...
And in that regard, Pathiv is no "threat"..but Gambhir/Sehwag are..more so if you see too many conspiracy theory movies..Alas, This is a professional sport..
Agree that Parthiv has been treated badly...maybe partly bcos he failed to perform well in recent Intl matches in Ind Eng ODI series..but lets not link it to insecurities and threats, at least Dhoni is above that with all his past success..
Of course the threat to Dhoni's captaincy is from Gambhir...(notice how Gambhir has beeen demoted and Virender.."I am not interested in Captaincy"..Sehwag has been made captain)
But it would be much more easier to ease Dhoni out if a competent batsman wicketkeeper were around...and this would be doubly noticeable if his weakness against the moving ball (swing or seam)...were exposed.
He is surely "professional". But professionals also try to block rivals... only thing is they don't act petulant and vindictive if the rival is still picked...
don't tell me Wridhiman Saha is your idea of a better back up keeper than Patel...
If Patel didn't do too well in ODIs... what has Saha done generate faith in his abilities?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:11:27:20:02:55 by Birbal.
BUT that selectors are letting him do that....
do i have a problem or is there is KNOW problem
Birbal, check your email/private message.
India - World Cup winners 2011!!!
Champions Trophy winners 2013!!!
Congrats to Indian team and all Indian fans!