Indian wicketkeeper-batsman, Parthiv Patel, was announced as the immediate replacement for the injured Wriddhiman Saha for the third Test against England in Mohali. While the left-hander's inclusion received mixed reactions from the crowd, former Indian coach John Wright, during an exclusive interview with Indian Express on Friday, said that he was happy regarding his selection and claimed that it was just a reward for his hard work.
"It's a great credit to him. He's a guy who has never complained," he said. “He was picked when he was a 16-year-old for the England tour in 2002. The first Test that he played was in Nottingham, if I'm not wrong. He helped save that match with the bat," Wright recalled.
Parthiv Patel was one of the many Indian cricketers who burst into the international arena under John Wright.
The former Kiwi cricketer also spoke about the current Indian coach, Anil Kumble. The former Indian leg-spinner, who blossomed under the coaching of Wright during the period of 2000-2005 had earlier mentioned that he would follow Wright's method of coaching. When asked about Kumble's performance as a coach so far, Wright said, "Well, it is early days for Anil.
"I think the bowling attack looks very good. The pacers have done a really good job. They look a very well-balanced and disciplined bunch. Knowing Anil -- having worked with him as a player and as a coach -- he's brought with him a philosophy of showing good discipline with the ball," he added.
He further went on to say that, "You look at the Indian setup where you've got players from my stint coaching. It all gels with the program pretty well. That certainly bodes well for Anil. You can only win games of cricket by doing this."
Also read: Parthiv Patel has been picked for his experience and keeping, says Anil Kumble
Wright also praised Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli for guiding the team that he has done so far and also seemed pretty impressed with his batting. He said, "He's been great. He's like a breath of fresh air. He's aggressive, passionate, and is getting runs.
"He's got a young team at his disposal, and that's a tremendous opportunity. Plus, he's a guy who obviously wants to win. He reminds me a bit of Sourav Ganguly in a way," he added. John Wright is currently in India as the head of Mumbai Indians’ talent- scouting wing.
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