Parthiv Patel

This diminutive kid made his debut in the last summer tour of England at the age of just over 16.

Date of Birth: 9 March 1985, Ahmedabad, Gujarat  Test Debut: Against England at Nottingham in 2002  ODI Debut: Against New Zealand at Queenstown in 2002/03  Bats: Left Hand Bat  Other: Wicket-Keeper

This diminutive kid made his debut in the last summer tour of England at the age of just over 16. He was asleep after he came back from an exhausted tour of Sri Lanka A, when his sister informed him that he has been selected for the England tour.

It was a remarkable achievement as he got the ticket to the senior squad without playing a single Ranji Trophy game.

He grabbed the opportunity with both hands when Ajay Ratra, the other wicket-keeper was inujred during the nets on the eve of the Trent Bridge Test.

At Trent Bridge, he was dismissed without troubling the scorers in the first innings, just trying to hard to leave the ball. He finally fetched at a short-pitched delivery and was caught at slips.

Then came the time when his side needed him the most to save the Test match. He battled hard for 82 minutes in the second innings and performed the rescue act to near perfection.

Playing on the home soil for the first time, he showed great maturity with the gloves as well as with bat. Even in the oppressive heat at Wankhede stadium in the first Test against West Indies, little boy’s enthusiasm in the field was a spectator’s delight.

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