Parthiv Patel is hoping to impress the selectors with his batting on the India 'A' tour of Zimbabwe and is ready to take on the mantle of opener.
NEW DELHI: Parthiv Patel is hoping to impress the selectors with his batting on the India 'A' tour of Zimbabwe and is ready to take on the mantle of opener in order to get a recall to the Indian team.
Patel made headlines four years ago when, as a cherubic 17-year-old, he played a plucky innings to help India avoid defeat at Trent Bridge on his debut series in 2002.
And right from that moment, he had shown more finesse in wielding the willow than with his glove-work during his stint with the Indian team until he was thrown out in 2004.
Patel, appointed vice-captain of the 'A' team, says he has made rapid strides with his wicketkeeping in the last three years, but with India already having two wicketkeeper-batsmen in Dinesh Kaarthick and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, he has to suit the team's needs to get a recall.
"Batting has always been a plus point for me. I have no issues with opening the innings," Patel told.
"It will all depend on the team's requirement and the composition."
Patel had been lucky enough to be part of the Indian team that recorded some memorable wins abroad - at Leeds, Adelaide, Multan and Rawalpindi.
He would have special memories about the last of those venues since he donned the role of a make-shift opener and came out successful with a dynamic 69 against a quality attack. And all that as a teenager!
Naturally, the time away from the national side has been that much more difficult for Patel.
"It hasn't been easy. Playing for India gave me a lot of pride but this (being out of the team) has been a learning experience," he said.
"I played in various venues and kept on different kinds of wickets. Some were seaming and some were turning and low."
He doesn't fail to remind his success with the bat. "I have been in good nick, scoring 60s and 70s in the domestic tournaments. I had a good Challenger Series in Chennai as well as the previous season in Mohali," he said.
"In the Duleep Trophy, I played at number six and got some crucial runs. They may not be big scores but came at important time for the team."
The India 'A' team is to play two four-day games against Zimbabwe before moving to Kenya where they are to play a ODI tri-series, involving Kenya and Zimbabwe, and two three-day games against the hosts.
Patel has never been to Zimbabwe and Kenya before, and so is that much more excited.
"It is a great opportunity. We have to see what kind of opposition we are going to play but usually the conditions there are tough as the pitches hlp the seamers. I am looking forward to the tour."
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