A blazing 67 after a polished 42 earned Parthiv Patel plaudits from his skipper Virat Kohli and the comeback man is thankful to the whole team for making him feel wanted in the Indian Test team’s dressing room where he had stepped in after eight long years.
“It was because of the kind of welcome and vibes I got in the dressing room, which was really important. Coming after eight years and wearing India whites, you are a bit nervous before the start of the Test match or while you are preparing for that moment to play for India. The guys welcomed me and it never felt like I was coming back to the dressing room after a huge gap,” Parthiv told BCCI.TV today.
What was the icing on the cake was Parthiv hitting those winning runs.
“It was a great moment for me. I have been a part of Test matches before but I had never ever hit the winning runs,” said the pint sized Gujarat stumper.
“As a batsman, it feels great to finish off the game. To get the winning runs after making a comeback is a proud moment for me. Virat was at the other end and he said he was very happy to see me getting runs.
“Playing for your country is the biggest honour and making a comeback is even harder. He along with other teammates made me comfortable as and it was pleasing to get runs for the team.”
Parthiv said consistent performances in domestic cricket also helped him a lot.
“Having played domestic cricket for long, I know my game well. I was always backing myself to get runs. I was in very good form in first-class cricket and I wanted to make this opportunity count. I wanted to continue that form into this Test match.
“It is the kind of energy you need to take while you are batting. The most important part is to get runs in the game and if you are getting them, you release a lot of pressure off yourself and from the partner who is batting with you at the other end.”
The 42 runs in the first innings gave him a lot of confidence.
“I played well in the first innings as well but it was necessary to show intent in the second innings, especially when you are chasing a low score. I am glad I could get a fifty in the second innings and stay there till the end for the team.”
Parthiv said that his keeping though can improve as he plays more Tests.
“I am happy with the way I kept wickets but I can always get better. To keep wickets on this kind of a track was not as easy as it looked like but now I have some time to work on it. There is always room for improvement. Hopefully, I can come out better the next time I keep wickets.