I was disappointed after I wasn't picked for the 2007-08 Australia tour: Parthiv Patel

Wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel. - AFP file

New Delhi - The wicketkeeper batsman was doing an Instagram Live session with former pacer RP Singh

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By ANI

Published: Tue 21 Apr 2020, 9:57 PM

Last updated: Wed 22 Apr 2020, 12:01 AM

Wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel on Tuesday revealed that he got really disappointed when he was not picked in the Indian squad for the 2007-08 Australia tour. 
Patel also said that he knew he was fighting for the second wicket-keeper slot, but was disappointed after not being picked in the squad. The wicket-keeper batsman was doing an Instagram Live session with former pacer RP Singh. 
"It is important to be at the right place at the right time. When the team got selected for Australia tour in 2008, I was competing for the second wicketkeeper slot as Dhoni had cemented his place as first choice pick. I was disappointed when I did not get picked in the squad," Parthiv told RP Singh during the session. 
"Dilip Vengsarkar was the chairman of selectors, he called me and said you have been performing well, keep at it and then he told me that I was not selected for the Australia series," he added. 
In the 2007-08 series, Australia defeated India 2-1, but the four-match contest was marked with controverseies. 
The second Test of the tour at the Sydney Cricket Ground is commonly known as the 'MonkeyGate Test' as it saw a fiery on-field contest between Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds. 
In the Instagram Live session, Parthiv also said that all wicket-keepers in the country knew that they cannot be selected as first choice keepers as MS Dhoni had made the place is own. 
"We all were competing for the second-wicket keeper slot. At that time, I used to think of giving my best in every match I play, you knew the reality thaat the skipper of the side is wicket-keeper, so you cannot be selected in the squad as first choice," Patel said. 
Parthiv has played 25 Tests, 38 ODIs for India. He had made his debut in 2002 against England at Trent Bridge and he created the record for being the youngest wicket-keeper to play the game of cricket. 
He was just 17 years and 153 days old at that time and had eclipsed the previous record of being the youngest wicketkeeper, previously held by Pakistan's Hanif Mohammed (17 years and 300 days).

ANI

Published: Tue 21 Apr 2020, 9:57 PM

Last updated: Wed 22 Apr 2020, 12:01 AM

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