India vs England 2016: 5 wicket-keepers who could have been selected for the third Test instead of Parthiv Patel

The Indian team fans were in for a shocker on an early Wednesday morning as wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha was ruled out for the third Test between India and England. Gujarat skipper Parthiv Patel was named as the immediate replacement for Saha who was ruled out of the next match due to the thigh strain that he incurred during the second Test in Vizag.

The 31-year old comes into the team following some decent performance in the domestic circuit this season. However, there were few others who had domestic performances, just as good, if not better, than Patel. Let's look at five such wicketkeeper-batsmen who could have made it to the Test team ahead of Parthiv Patel.

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#1 Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant managed to register a triple hundred in this season’s Ranji Trophy

The 19-year old Delhi batsman has been having a tremendous season in the Ranji Trophy. He has scored 874 runs in the tournament so far with four centuries and two half-centuries and a highest score of 308.

The explosive batsman is termed as India's answer to Gilchrist and rightly so for he likes dominating the bowlers right from the word go. His strike-rate of 114.09 in this season Ranji Trophy is a clear example of his ability to score quickly.

Given the lack of left-handers in the current Test team, Pant could have been a great addition as he could have brought in the surprise element with him. He has been pretty good behind the stumps too and has proved effective in the six matches that he has played so far.

#2 Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan was the captain of the Indian team in U-19 World Cup 2016

Ishan Kishan is another exciting teenager who has been grabbing everyone's attention ever since he burst out into the domestic circuit. The 18-year old Jharkhand batsman has been playing very well in the Ranji Trophy this season and is the tenth highest run-getter.

He has managed to score 599 runs at an impressive average of 74.87 with three hundred and has a high score of 273. The left-hander has often been regarded as the one of the youngsters to watch out for in the coming years. He has an impressive average of 51.34 in the 16 First-class matches that he has played so far.

Given his age, Ishan's addition to the national team would have been a bit early but it would have been worth a gamble.

#3 Aditya Tare

Aditya Tare has performed well consistently in the domestic circuit over the years

Aditya Tare has been Mumbai's guardian behind the stumps for quite some time now. The 29-year old has been exceptional with the bat in this season's Ranji Trophy and has been quite influential in his team's performances. He has scored close to 6000 runs in his First-class class career with an average of 38.03.

He has had a decent outing so far in this season's Ranji Trophy with 261 runs in six matches at an average of 32.62. Though his stats may not be impressive this season, it has to be noticed that he has often okayed some crucial knocks under pressure to get his team out of trouble.

With the experience of having played in the IPL, Tare's addition would have made the Indian lower order even stronger.

#4 Naman Ojha

Naman Ojha had an ordinary Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2015

Naman Ojha has been one of the unlucky wicketkeeper-batsmen to have played in the same era as Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The right-hander from Madhya Pradesh has been impressive throughout his first-class career and he has often proven to be a vital cog in the Indian A team whenever selected.

The 33-year old made his Test debut back in 2015 against Sri Lanka in Colombo. However, he wasn't given a long run and was dropped immediately in the next match. He has scored close to 9000 runs in the 127 First-class matches that he has played so far at an impressive average of 42.69.

His ability to accelerate at any stage of the innings would have made him a great asset to the Test team had he been selected. Ojha is also an exceptional wicketkeeper and has pulled off some acrobatic catches during the IPL.

#5 Mahesh Rawat

Mahesh Rawat averages 38.81 in the 98 First-class matches that he has played so far

Mahesh Rawat may not come across as a familiar face to the Indian fans when talking about wicketkeeper-batsman. However, the 31-year old has been one of the best in the domestic circuit.

The Railways player has scored 5124 runs in the 98 First-class matches that he has played so far at an average of 38.81 with 11 centuries and 34 half-centuries. He has often proved to be one of those calm and composed batsmen who take time to settle in and then try to make it big.

He has scored 272 runs in the six matches that he has played so far in this season's Ranji Trophy with an average of 27.20. An experienced gloveman like him would have been an ideal replacement for Saha.

Though Parthiv has loads of experience in international cricket, the fans would have wanted the board to reward the fresh faces for their performances in the domestic circuit. And while the national team already has a wicketkeeper-batsman in Lokesh Rahul, it will be interesting to see how the management goes about the team selection for the Mohali Test.