Parthiv Patel: A big innings will boost my India chances

At an age when many aspiring cricketers start training in earnest, Parthiv Patel made his Test debut for India in England. He later toured New Zealand, Australia and Pakistan with the national team but failed to live up to expectations, and as a result he was dropped. Around the same time, MS Dhoni emerged onto the scene and quickly established himself as India's preferred wicketkeeper-batsman, a position he has held down for almost a decade.

In this duration, Patel's opportunities at the international level were limited to when Dhoni was rested or injured. But now, with Dhoni having retired from Test cricket, the 29-year-old is back in the reckoning for the spot that has made all wicketkeeper-batsmen across the country alert.

In an exclusive interview to Cricbuzz on the sidelines of Gujarat's Ranji Trophy match with Punjab, Patel spoke at length about what he needs to do to return to the Indian team, his highs and lows and of course Dhoni.

Excerpts:

With Dhoni retired from Tests, do you think it's a great opportunity for you to return to the Indian team?

Of course. I've had last three-four good seasons and I've been batting and keeping well but I'm not thinking about that [India return]. I'm just enjoying my game. If I keep performing the way I have been performing I'm sure I will get what I deserve.

What went wrong after such a great start to your career?

If you want to play for India, you've got to keep performing. I didn't do well in a couple of series and that's why I was dropped and someone else came in and did a fantastic job. That's what happens in competitive cricket.

After being dropped, I did make a comeback. With Dhoni doing so well, obviously the opportunities were there only when he was rested or injured and I got a few matches and performed well, but that's what happens when somebody is doing a great job. You've just got to wait. Now as far as the 'keeping spot is concerned, I - or any wicketkeeper for that matter won't be competing with the captain. When you are competing with the captain, it's a different scenario. When someone is captain, there is no competition. The only chance is when he gets injured or rested.

I'm only 29 and I've got a lot of years ahead of me. There is an advantage here in my case as I made my debut quite early. I've got experience. I've seen what it takes to be there. That's how I train before every season - to always be ready.

Do you regret having thrown away that opportunity?

I don't look at it as regret. To play at the top level you've got to keep performing, as I said before. Dhoni did his job superbly, taking nothing away from him. He had a career of 90 Test matches, it's huge. None of the other Indian wicketkeepers have done that. He deserves all praise. He is a friend and he has stayed humble all through his success.

Do you think a big season or an exceptional innings is what you need at present to make your claims strong?

As I said before, I've been performing consistently, but I agree that to hog the limelight I need a double-hundred or a triple-hundred. That's what people look at. I recently met a former cricketer and he asked me 'how did your last season go?' and I said, 'I got around 700 runs'. His response was 'that you do every season.'

But I tell you it's not easy to score 800 runs every season. I've had three seasons or so when I made 800 runs. I take a lot of pride in the fact that I'm one of the consistent batsmen in the Ranji Trophy. As far as Test selection is concerned, all I can do is perform. I can't go and talk to the selectors. That's something a player should never do. You have to perform and the selectors are there to do their job. But I agree, a big innings will definitely help.

Do you also think your return heavily depends on how Gujarat fare?

There is a personal reason behind it, to push Gujarat to the quarter-finals or semi-finals. If you score a double-hundred or triple-hundred in a quarter-final match, it's as good as scoring 800 runs in a season. That's why I always push players here to perform and play out of their skin. It will help them, it will help me and overall it will help Gujarat cricket.

Every season is important for a team like Gujarat. Four or five years ago we were never rated and now we are almost there. When you are playing for a team like this which has a bunch of talented guys, and to perform with them and try to take the team to the quarter-finals, it obviously strengthens my case to play for India as well.

I won't say we are not a weak team. For the last few years, we have been No 4. There are chances of being a stand-out performer with a team like this. There are always positives. If I take the responsibility of taking the team to the next level which has succeeded at some points in the past like we have been T20 champions, we have been qualifying for the one-day matches for the last three seasons. So if I become a stand-out performer and we go through or even if we don't go through, there are people who will notice. That's the reason why I'm here. I think reaching the quarter-finals will be the icing on the cake.

The last IPL wasn't very fruitful for you and now you have joined Mumbai Indians from Royal Challengers Bangalore...

I wouldn't say it was a bad season; it was an average season. I was getting starts, I was getting 20s and 30s. I was batting well but obviously, I need big runs. A big IPL could also help me get back in the reckoning. It's a great opportunity for me. I've played for a few big teams. It's a good sign that I'm constantly in demand. The same thing applies to the IPL; good performances there will get noticed. The wicket at the Wankhede Stadium has always suited my batting. I've scored a lot of runs there, since my junior days, so that will give me an extra boost.

What have you learnt from your highs and lows?

I've seen plenty of highs and a lot of struggles in my life. The thing I have learnt is to be balanced when I'm doing well or even when I am not doing well. The only thing I could do is try to stay in good shape, try to prepare well before every game and try to keep working hard. I should be sleeping well, thinking that I've worked hard for the day. That's important.

But there must have been some sleepless nights?

There was definitely a phase like that when I scored five tons in a row, before the 2007-08 Australia tour. Even then I wasn't picked, so there was a time when I thought 'what's the point of performing if I'm not getting selected? But the bigger desire of playing for India pushes you all the time and the next season I came back strong and scored 700-800 runs in the Ranji Trophy. I got picked to play a Test match. I've also realised the more you go for it [India recall], the more it gets away from you. That's why the process is more important. Going through your drills is important; the rest will take care of itself.