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Parthiv promises plenty

By S. Dinakar

KEEP IT UP: Parthiv Patel's transition from the junior level to the senior grade has been quite smooth. The 17-year-old has come in for praise from all quarters and looks a good bet for the future. — Photo: N. Balaji

Hamilton Dec. 23. Off the little man went, flying to his left, timing his dive to perfection, and then rising with the ball in his big gloves. It was sensational, inspirational and magical.

Parthiv Patel's gravity defying act to dismiss a shell-shocked Nathan Astle on the fourth day of the Hamilton Test will rank among the great catches by a wicketkeeper this year. Astonishing stuff from a 17-year-old.

Just the kind of brilliance that would lift the entire team, however, with the Indian batsmen making too little, that staggering effort from Parthiv wasn't enough to rescue a beleaguered side.

India, its batsmen stumbling and faltering on pitches with bounce and sideways movement, was blanked in the two-Test National Bank series, yet the young Parthiv was outstanding behind the stumps.

Not surprisingly, Parthiv rates his blinder to dismiss Astle as the finest catch yet of his fledgling international career. "Zaheer bowled a short pitched ball on the leg-stump, Astle tried to swing it, I was there in my position, saw the ball flying away. The important thing was I watched the ball closely. It was on my blind side, to my wrong hands and was far away. I went for it, and got it,'' said Parthiv talking to The Hindu, here, on Monday morning.

It was in New Zealand 26 years ago that India's finest wicket-keeper Syed Kirmani made a huge impression, and Parthiv, as natural as they come, is following in `Kiri bhai's' footsteps. He does promise to bring stability to the 'keeper's slot after `pretenders' aplenty arrived and left.

How has it been for Parthiv to keep on these kinds of pitches, especially the juicy ones at Wellington and Hamilton? "Playing here has been a lot like playing in England. The ball has been seaming around. There is no change in my style actually. I work on the basics. Actually, here you get a lot of time to cover your ground, and even if the ball swings and bounces as it gets to you, you still can adjust.''

It was only in January this year that he was in New Zealand with the India under-19 World Cup side. Did Parthiv believe then that within a matter of months, he would return to the same land as India's No 1. wicketkeeper?

"When I was here in January, I never thought about this. It was when I toured South Africa and Sri Lanka with the `A' team, that I began to realise that I can make it to the Test team.''

But then, he appears to have made the transition from junior cricket to a more demanding league effortlessly. Parthiv is strong mentally and he admits to this. "You have to be very tough in the mind. You have to adjust, cope with the conditions. You don't have much time in international cricket, whatever you need to do, you have to do it fast. There are no easy games.''

Ask him about his greatest asset as a wicketkeeper and he is quick with his reply. "I think it is my footwork and soft hands. I also watch the ball closely from the bowler's hands.''

With the willow, Parthiv, a southpaw, impressed with his attitude and approach on helpful conditions for the Kiwi pacemen, invariably getting behind the line and putting a price on his wicket. He was rewarded by the team-management too when sent as an opener in the second innings at Hamilton.

However, Parthiv feels he should have progressed to bigger scores, after getting a start. "As a wicket-keeper I did well. But I was disappointed with my batting. I did survive there, I should have scored more. I got out in the Wellington Test after being at the crease for 50 minutes. I've opened for India `A', got half centuries. Bond was quite quick. Tuffey pitched on the right spot. They were all good, but I should have done more.'' Not easily satisfied is Parthiv.

At the crease, Parthiv certainly seems to have got his fundamentals right. Whom does he look up to in batting? ''I have tried to model my batting on Rahul (Dravid). The way he plays. He is so tight.''

Parthiv's most memorable Test moment, he reveals, was when walking back after helping India salvage the second Test in England this summer. "It was my Test debut and I had scored 19 not out when the team needed it. It was an important Test for us, and we had to save it.''

The subject soon shifted again to 'keeping and Parthiv noted performing the job at home, against spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, represented a far bigger challenge for him. "The ball doesn't bounce as much as it does here for the pacemen. But it is difficult to keep wickets in India to spinners like Kumble and Harbhajan because of their turn and bounce. Kumble gets extra bounce, there is variety and he lands the ball on the right spot. It is quite difficult. Harbhajan again, a lot of bounce, a lot of variety. It is important to read their hands.''

Keeping to spinners, Parthiv remembers a particular dismissal of his, when he removed the bails in a flash to have Ramnaresh Sarwan stumped in the Kolkata Test against the West Indies. "I watched Harbhajan's hands and picked that he was going to bowl the straighter one. Then I realised there was an opportunity, when Sarwan just lifted his foot. I pulled it off.''

Travelling with the Indian team has been a wonderful experience for Parthiv. "You can learn a lot of things from these guys. They know a lot about cricket and life. The seniors have been helpful. Sourav and Rahul always try to lift my spirits. Coach Wright is also the same.''

The Aussie dasher Adam Gilchrist is his cricketing idol. "The catches he takes, he has good hands. He is also such an attacking batsman.''

Like Gilchrist, Parthiv has an aggressive streak in him. Just watch him go up during one of those vociferous appeals of his and it would be hard to believe that here's a 17-year-old rubbing shoulders with the Big Boys!

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