5 reasons why Parthiv Patel should not have been dropped from the Test team

Parthiv Patel has not been included in the team to play Bangladesh in the one-off Test at Hyderabad

The Indian squad to face Bangladesh in the one-off Test match at Hyderabad on 9^th February was announced today by the selection committee, masterminded by MSK Prasad. Tamil Nadu opener Abhinav Mukund was recalled to the team after six years as a backup opener to Murali Vijay and KL Rahul. Wriddhiman Saha and Ajinkya Rahane, both of whom missed a good fraction of the England series due to injury, returned back to the squad.

Parthiv Patel who produced a couple of decent performances with the bat in the two Tests against England that he played, was dropped from the Test team in favour of Saha. The Gujarat skipper had replaced the Bengal gloveman during the England series after the latter suffered a thigh injury during the second Test against England at Vizag.

In four innings, Patel scored 195 runs at an average of 65, getting two half-centuries and despite Saha making a remarkable comeback from his injury by scoring a blistering 203 during the Irani Cup, Patel should have been given an opportunity in the Bangladesh series; not only as a keeper, but also as a batsman.

Here are five reasons why Parthiv Patel should not have been dropped from the Test team.

#1 Experience

Parthiv Patel would have been the senior-most member in the team had he been selected

While Wriddhiman Saha is older than Parthiv Patel, the latter has much more experience in Test cricket. As a matter of fact, during the England series, Patel was the senior most member in the Team, having made his Test debut back in 2002 against England at Nottingham.

Having performed in a subdued manner during his first year in Test cricket, Patel found his groove during the Tests series in Australia and Pakistan during the start of 2004 as he garnered four half-centuries in both series combined and gradually established himself as a regular in the Test squad before MS Dhoni’s emergence cut short his career.

Nevertheless, Patel has played in various conditions and that would have given the Indian team a very serious advantage. Not to forget his impressive First-Class career in which he has close to 10000 runs, having scored 56 fifties and 25 centuries.