Sport - Cricket

The little man has come a long way

— FILE PHOTO

Parthiv Patel.

Chennai: At the conclusion of a dusty Sunday at the CPT-IP ground, Parthiv Patel returns smiling. He comprehends the rough rides and the swings in fortune. And, he is only 23 years of age.

Parthiv has also walked out of a dark phase in his career. The little man kept wickets for India in the final Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo and did so with a fair measure of confidence.

“Earlier, I used to worry about the future. I was putting too much pressure on myself. Now, I think only about the present. That is the difference,” says Parthiv in a chat with The Hindu, here, on Sunday.

He also recalls a conversation with ‘keeping great Ian Healy. “He told me to move on the balls of my feet, not toe or heel alone, and stressed powerful sideways movements, so essential for a ‘keeper,” says Parthiv.

Parthiv also talks about watching the ball till the last moment, rising with the ball and ’keeping with soft hands. These days, he allows the ball to ease into his gloves, does not grab at it.

While Parthiv has remained a combative left-hander with the willow, it was an alarming drop in his ’keeping standards that led to his omission from the Indian team. It has been a hard job, hauling himself back into contention.

The cricketer from Gujarat acknowledges the inputs from Mahendra Singh Dhoni during his time with the Chennai Super Kings. “He did not see me as a rival ’keeper. He allowed me to keep. We chatted much about cricket and ’keeping and his words gave me a lot of confidence.”

Someone who made his Test debut against England at Nottingham in 2002, while still in his teens, Parthiv’s strength of mind has often been put to test. After a spell under sunshine, Parthiv found himself stumbling in darkness.

Dinesh Karthik and then Dhoni took his place; Parthiv appeared a young lad lost on a highway to nowhere. He retained the faith and turned his career around.

Parthiv has worked on his batting as well. “Earlier I used to play a lot square of the pitch. Now I am straighter,” he says. Gutsy half centuries in away Tests in Australia and Pakistan — the latter as an opener — reflected his spirit. Here was a little man with a heart larger than his tiny frame.

Parthiv’s Test record — 683 runs at 29.69 and 49 dismissals in 20 matches — is a creditable one. He is, however, realistic about the emergence of Dhoni. “He has pulled really ahead. It will be a fight between myself and Karthik as and when the opportunities come by.”

Even as the sun sets, he joins his Gujarat teammates for a post-day session. The little boy is now a man of the world. These cricketing journeys can be spirit-lifting.

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