The recently announced Indian squad for the upcoming England tour, had two wicket-keepers, Rishabh Pant and Wriddhiman Saha. While initially, when MS Dhoni retired, Saha was the first preference as a keeper for his side, Pant turned the tables in his favour with his performances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2021 and the recent England tour of India.
Pant silenced his critics by proving that his aggressive batting skills do not only provide ample support to the team, but also rule the opposition out of the game
Talking about the same, Saha expressed that he is content with Pant being the first choice keeper.
“Rishabh Pant played the last few matches of the World Test Championship, he’s done well and he should be our first-choice keeper in England. I would just wait, and if any opportunity arises, I will give my best. I will keep practising for that one chance,” Saha told Sportskeeda on Tuesday.
Accepting his fate, the 36-year-old stated that the best he can do is practice, as disappointments are part and parcel of the game.
“I try to be the same irrespective of the situation. Whether I am performing or no, I don’t see any change in myself, no idea if others around me spot anything different. We can only try to perform – sometimes it clicks, sometimes it doesn’t – and the management takes the call based on all these parameters,” the Siliguri-born opined.
Saha also added that there is a huge difference between practising and playing professional matches, and it all boils down to who performs on the big stage.
“Practice remains the same, irrespective of whether I am playing or not. I always try to improve, but yes, there is a huge gulf between a practice session and a professional match. It ultimately boils down to who delivers on the bigger stage,” the Bengal-cricketer admitted.
Meanwhile, Team India has announced KS Bharat as the cover for Saha, considering the latter recently recuperated from COVID-19.
Taking cognizance of the same, Saha argued that Bharat was also the reserve-keeper during the last series against England. Expounding the same, the right-hand batter anticipated that three keepers had been selected as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus pandemic.
“I didn’t have COVID-19 during the last series but KS Bharat was still with the team. So what do you say then? Now that I contracted the infection, people are labelling him as my ‘cover’. But I feel they have picked a third keeper bearing in mind the risk outside. As we saw, anybody can get the infection from anywhere and two keepers are anyway a must these days. So if one keeper falls sick by any chance, then we will be in a spot of bother. I think that’s the reason why they have decided to travel with the three of us,” he explained.
