India vs England 2016: 5 wicket-keepers who could have been selected for the third Test instead of Parthiv Patel
The Indian team fans were in for a shocker on an early Wednesday morning as wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha was ruled out for the third Test between India and England. Gujarat skipper Parthiv Patel was named as the immediate replacement for Saha who was ruled out of the next match due to the thigh strain that he incurred during the second Test in Vizag.
The 31-year old comes into the team following some decent performance in the domestic circuit this season. However, there were few others who had domestic performances, just as good, if not better, than Patel. Let's look at five such wicketkeeper-batsmen who could have made it to the Test team ahead of Parthiv Patel.
Also read: India vs England 2016: Parthiv Patel replaces Wriddhiman Saha for the 3rd Test at Mohali
#1 Rishabh Pant
The 19-year old Delhi batsman has been having a tremendous season in the Ranji Trophy. He has scored 874 runs in the tournament so far with four centuries and two half-centuries and a highest score of 308.
The explosive batsman is termed as India's answer to Gilchrist and rightly so for he likes dominating the bowlers right from the word go. His strike-rate of 114.09 in this season Ranji Trophy is a clear example of his ability to score quickly.
Given the lack of left-handers in the current Test team, Pant could have been a great addition as he could have brought in the surprise element with him. He has been pretty good behind the stumps too and has proved effective in the six matches that he has played so far.