Ahead of the third Test against England in Mohali, India had lost an opener and a wicket-keeper. Niggles had ruled out KL Rahul and Wriddhiman Saha. The hosts were 1-0 up in the series, but these sudden injuries threatened to deflate that victorious vibe.
Parthiv Patel was recalled to the Indian Test side after eight years. Now 31, he was brought in to mainly handle the duties behind the stumps. But Rahul’s injury, and the lack of time for a replacement at the top, meant Patel had to firefight throughout the game. Keeping to Ravichandran Ashwin and the rest on an Indian strip that offers turn was always set to challenge a wicket-keeper not used to it. To add to it, Patel had to survive the new ball from James Anderson as an opener.
On Day 4 of the Mohali Test, Patel made room and lofted Gareth Batty over cover to seal India’s 2-0 lead in the series. Captain Virat Kohli, who was at the other end, celebrated the triumph by hugging Patel on the centre of the pitch. After the customary handshakes were done with, Kohli uprooted a stump. He even asked Patel to take one stump as a souvenir. And on their way back to the pavilion, the skipper hugged him again.
Parthiv could have done even better
Kohli understood the value of Patel’s contribution. By the end of the third Test, Patel had cured the skipper’s headache. In him, India had found an opener and a wicket-keeper.
The performance had meant that Patel had all but confirmed his berth on the team bus as the second-choice wicketkeeper – something Kohli hoped he could at the start of the game.
Patel, though, had had his chances to even make a claim to be India’s first-choice keeper, but a couple of dropped catches and the inability to build on the strong start in the first innings just took the sheen slightly off his otherwise impressive return.
The return, though, had been shocking in itself. With a young Rishabh Pant demolishing attacks in domestic cricket, he was primed to get a look in. But the selectors opted for Patel’s experience.
And if Patel’s inclusion was surprising, the journey to join the team was complicated. Not only did he have to leave the Ranji Trophy game against Mumbai he was captaining Gujarat in midway, it took him two flights and a road journey to get to Chandigarh from Hubbali in Karnataka.
On his reintroduction to international cricket, Patel was presented with the task of keeping to the likes of Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Jayant Yadav on the first day itself. And the nerves were there to be seen.
Making up for his mistake
Jonny Bairstow was the only English batsman who rode his fine form to offer resistance. But his vigil too could have ended earlier had Patel held on to his nick off Ashwin’s bowling. But Patel slipped, dropped the catch and, perhaps, even missed a stumping opportunity. Bairstow, who went on to score 89, was on 56 then.
Parthiv handed Bairstow another life, this time off Jayant Yadav. But fortunately for him, the English wicketkeeper-batsman did little to capitalise on it and was trapped leg before off the next ball.
Soon it was time for Patel to step into the opener’s shoes. India had not allowed England to take advantage of the toss, and had kept them under 300. But, they still needed a strong start at the top to avoid unnecessary panic in the pavilion.
Patel has opened at the domestic level, but opening in Test cricket after an eight-year hiatus is another ball game.
Murali Vijay fell early (once again), but Patel batted like he had never left Test cricket. He had survived the new ball and had begun to take on the bowling. But just when he could have built on the start, he missed a regulation Adil Rashid delivery. It hit his pads, and he was on his way back to the hut.
Come the second innings, however, Patel came out better prepared. No catches were dropped. A couple of dismissals were completed. In the first dash he had gifted Bairstow two lives. In the second he had plucked the English batsman’s life out of thin air. Bairstow got a bottom-edge to a Jayant Yadav delivery that had kept low from around the wicket. Patel stopped his initial movement and completed the catch just centimetres from the ground.
But the real statement of intent was issued with the bat. India were set a paltry 103 to chase. But, Vijay failed for the second time in the game. Cricket is a funny game and a wicket in the second over meant it could have been the start of a comical chase. But, Patel ensured India stuck by the expected script.
Cutting through the England camp
After all, there was no way the left-handed batsman would let the second opportunity with the bat go to vain. He had waited for years. He may not have had the stage to score a big one thanks to the size of the target, but he was going to make do with whatever he had.
And Patel made the right noise during the course of his 80-minute stay. He played the square cut, he even displayed his ability to uppercut and, in the process, he cut through the English camp. There was no prominent exhibition of verbal aggression. All the aggression came from the bat.
Patel had been tentative to Rashid in the first innings. He bullied him in the second. He danced down to the leg-spinner and lofted him over long on for a six to get to 49. The next delivery, he went back to his favourite cut. It was a single that earned him a fifty on comeback. The knock would have tasted sweet, but there were no violent gestures towards the pavilion or the crowd to celebrate the feat. Patel knew this, and beyond, is what he should have done in the first innings. That this is what he was in the team to do.
“Wow, that’s (Patel as a backup opener) a good headache to be honest. You never know, there are all kinds of possibilities. The way he approached both the innings, it was amazing to see. That’s where experience from first-class level comes into play. The intent he showed in both innings deflated the opposition totally. Credit to him to go out there and counter-attack the seamers. He really stood out for me as a batsman, as a keeper as well he did well. So you never know, let’s see what happens in next few days and we will take a call accordingly,” the captain lavished praise on Patel after the win.
Despite the effort, if Saha and one of the injured openers recover, Patel could have to warm the bench in Mumbai. And if Saha performs, it could be an extended wait on the bench for Patel. But Patel is a man who has toiled for years in domestic cricket to make a comeback to the Indian team. The wait on the bench, as a part of the national team, could thus be a cakewalk. And if he could be ready for the top level after all these years, he could be ready to raid after a few games as a reserve.