Justifying why he prefers Saha, Patil said that the Bengal lad is more experienced and has always rescued the team.
Wriddhiman Saha during the third day's play of the first Test match between India and South Africa at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on October 4, 2019. (Photo by NOAH SEELAM / AFP)
Amid the ongoing debate on who between Wriddhiman Saha and Rishabh Pant should keep the wickets for India in Tests, former India chief selector Sandeep Patil has said that Saha would always be his first choice.
Patil feels that the Indian team management is playing with the career of Saha in a bid to promote Pant.
“You are promoting Rishabh Pant, but playing with the career of Wriddhiman Saha,” Patil told mid.day.com.
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Justifying why he prefers Saha, Patil said that the Bengal lad is more experienced and has always rescued the team.
“Saha will be always be my first choice as wicket-keeper simply because you need experience and he is more experienced. Saha has also always rescued the team so why are you taking away his batting confidence? I know what Saha is capable of; I was in the West Indies when he scored that hundred,” said Patil.
It is to note that Saha kept wickets for India in the entire home Test season in 2019 but he was replaced by Pant in the recently-concluded overseas Tests against New Zealand.
After the right-handed wicketkeeper-batsman was not included in the final XI for the first Test against New Zealand, cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle had also expressed his disappointment saying that he feels for Saha. Bhogle, however, clarified himself later saying that he was not against the inclusion of Pant.
Talking about the Test series, New Zealand whitewashed India 2-0. Pant along with other India batsmen failed miserably and has kept the doors open for Saha.
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