5 wicketkeepers who could replace Dinesh Karthik behind the stumps

The Indian cricket team are reeling after being decimated by England in the second Test at Lords. They would’ve been hoping against hope for a better showing, to get back into the series after a narrow loss in the first Test. Now they face an insurmountable task should they want to salvage anything from the series.The second Test ended up being a nightmare for India from the get-go. From the time the team selection was made, people were raising their eyebrows. Playing two spinners and going in with two seamers and an allrounder in those conditions? They were on the back foot right away. Then they were put into bat and were swiftly ripped apart by the likes of Broad, Anderson and Woakes, all of whom were unplayable on that pitch. Conditions were perfect for the world-class bowling trio, and India didn’t have any answers.Someone who’s looked utterly rudderless so far has been KD Karthik. With Saha being injured, and after a strong showing in the IPL, he got his chance to come back into the Indian team. He’s been there, done it before. He got his second chance. But so far, he’s failed to make any sort of an impact. With the bat, he’s looked all at sea. But then again so have most of the Indian batsmen. But he’s been less than tidy behind the stumps too. He’s found it tough to contend with the extravagant swing in English conditions. In cricket, if all’s going pear-shaped, you should be able to look to your keeper for some stability. India hasn’t even been able to do that.There are no shortage of wicketkeepers waiting in the wings. For a long time, being a wicketkeeper in India, you were resigned to playing domestic cricket and hoping your batting prowess can get you noticed by national selectors. MS Dhoni’s been number one choice behind the stumps for what seems like an age. Since Dhoni retired from Tests, Saha’s taken over the mantle in the longer format. He’s a tidy keeper and a more than a decent batsman. He’s been in England. But not for cricketing purposes. Saha’s just had surgery on his right shoulder.There are plenty of wicketkeeping alternatives for India to choose from. India’s chosen its Test squad for the first three Tests. But they may look to include some of these names in the squad for the last two Tests. They may have their eyes on these wicketkeeping options going forward.#5 Parthiv PatelParthiv is experienced in ODI and Test coloursParthiv Patel is a little pocket rocket. He’s been playing as captain for Gujarat on the domestic circuit for an age. He’s also got plenty of experience at international level. Who can forget that baby-faced teenager walking out for his debut on the biggest stage of them all at Trent Bridge? Since then he’s played 25 Tests for India and 38 ODIs. He’s been doing mightily well on the domestic circuit and in the IPL. As a batsman, he’s got a proven pedigree. As a wicketkeeper, he’s gotten safer as he’s gained experience. He can open the batting too, and could, therefore, prove to be an apt solution for India’s opening batting woes.

5 wicketkeepers who could replace Dinesh Karthik behind the stumps

#4 Rishabh Pant