The expectations from a wicket-keeper have changed. Again.

The Indian team management wants a 'keeper who can bat consistently at number seven.

Karim and his predecessor, Syed Mujtaba Hussein Kirmani, believe that Karnataka's Thilak Naidu has matured and deserves a chance at the international level.

"Patel has chipped in with runs and done well behind the stumps," Karim said. "But I feel he needs to bat better in the one-dayers. Ajay Ratra did not do very well in England and Patel stepped in. Thilak Naidu has now stepped up and is a very good prospect."

Ratra himself believes the leg injury he suffered before the second Test in England last year proved too costly. "I was batting and keeping well," the Haryana stumper said. "The injury saw Patel play the remaining Tests despite the fact that I scored a hundred in a side game."

Ratra had a decent tour of the West Indies with the India A side and was hoping to be picked for the Dhaka triangular in April. But Patel cemented his place in the Test side with some good performances and Rahul Dravid was doing duty in the one-dayers. "It is disappointing, but I must let go of the past and try and get back in the side," he said.

Naidu's is a strange story. Touted as a future India 'keeper by many back in the mid-1990s, the youngster lost his way, gained pounds of weight, and went out of the reckoning even for the Karnataka state team.

But Karim said, "I don't feel Naidu has wasted a few years. To play international cricket you need to have a certain amount of maturity. And I feel Thilak is ready to play now."

According to Karim, cricketers must play at least two seasons of domestic cricket before entering the international arena, unless, of course, they are exceptional talents. "At 25, Naidu still has age on his side," he said, "and if he gets a few good knocks during the Challenger series, he could be a good bet for the one-dayers."

Keeping skills are paramount, Karim said. "You have to be a good wicket-keeper to get into the Indian team, but now you have to be the batting all-rounder also."

Naidu for his part is like a man with a mission. Backed by lots of runs and a fitting performance behind the stumps, he is determined to prove his credentials. "I've lost weight, I've got the runs and I can keep. Let me get some runs for the Challenger and see," he said.

Makarand Waingankar, who handles junior cricket for the Karnataka State Cricket Association, believes that Ajay Ratra is the perfect choice for keeping though Naidu is the best bat amongst the three. "Patel is overhyped," Waingankar said. "What did he do in England on the India A tour? Batting at number five, he scored just one hundred against teams that did not have a single top-forty county player. Is he physically strong enough? He fails to penetrate the field when batting."

But even Waingankar cannot but admit that Patel is "a brilliant wicket-keeper".

Other than these three, Karim believes Test discard Deep Dasgupta has a fair chance of getting back into the team. But Kirmani is firmly against the idea of trying any other wicket-keeper for the next five years.

"This system of chopping and changing must stop," he said. "We have identified three wicket-keepers with a lot of talent and we must stick to them."

All three are very capable, Kirmani said. "Patel and Ratra have already represented India at the international level and I feel there is no harm in giving Thilak Naidu a go now. Even if it is just to see where he stands as compared to the other two."

In terms of wicket-keeping ability, Kirmani believes the difference between the three is negligible, but "the results and consistency they achieve are important. Technique makes you look good, but it is performance that counts."

As for makeshift 'keepers, Kirmani remained staunchly opposed to the idea. "Makeshift 'keepers are certainly a no-no," he said. "There has been talk in certain quarters about Vikram Rathore. But he is clearly a batsman first. Wicket-keeping is a specialist job."