I have an opportunity to prove myself: Parthiv

Dubai: Returning to the national side as the first choice wicketkeeper for the West Indies tour, Parthiv Patel is looking forward to grab the opportunity with both hands and cement his place in the Indian team.

Parthiv, who has played in 18 ODIs and 20 Tests, said it was the promotion in the batting order that played a key role in his return to the Indian team. © AFP

"Now I have an opportunity to prove myself and stay in the present and perform to the best of my abilities. Whatever MS Dhoni has achieved, he deserves it - if not the best, he is one of the best captains India has ever had. What I just have to do is wait for my opportunity to come and keep pushing my way back into the India side," Parthiv said on Thursday.
The cherubic wicketkeeper admitted that he is not looking beyond the West Indies tour, but made it clear that he has gained in experience since making his Test debut in 2002.
"I was very young when I first came into the side, but I've now more confidence and belief having scored runs in my domestic games, which has seen me rise up the batting order," he said.
Parthiv, who has played in 18 ODIs and 20 Tests, said it was the promotion in the batting order that played a key role in his return to the Indian team.
"I was willing to change anything about my cricket in order to get into the side and if it meant changing my batting, I would come higher up the order. I opened the batting in the domestic games and did so successfully and that movement up the order was probably my main reason to get selected into the India side," Parthiv said.
With Dhoni being rested for the ODI series against the West Indies, Parthiv does have big shoes to fill, but the keeper, it seems, is up for the task.