Indian Test wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha has been ruled out of the third Test against England due to a thigh injury which he sustained during the second Test at Visakhapatnam.
In Saha’s absence, Gujarat wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel has been handed a re-call to the Indian Test team after a gap of eight years.
Despite some solid form in the Ranji Trophy, Patel’s call-up comes as a surprise as Naman Ojha is usually considered back-up to Saha in the Indian Test side. But Patel’s scores of 49 and 139* in the Ranji Trophy game against Madhya Pradesh last week seems to have caught the eye of the Indian selectors.
NEWS ALERT - @parthiv9 replaces injured @Wriddhipops for the Mohali Test @Paytm #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/vnhe5q1ZtU
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 23, 2016
One more thing that might have gone against Ojha was his performances during India A’s tour of Australia in September. The Madhya Pradesh wicket-keeper managed just 21 runs from four innings during the unofficial Tests, which included two ducks.
There was also 19-year-old Rishabh Pant knocking on the door with a triple century and a 48-ball century in the Ranji Trophy, but the selectors have decided to go with experience.
Patel has played 20 Tests, with his last appearance in whites for India coming back in 2008. He has 683 Test runs to his name at an average of 29.69.
