Wicketkeeping is a crucial job in cricket, and keepers are often dealt with unreal challenges, yet more often than not, they turn their best game apart from contributing with the bat. Indian wicketkeepers are not any different, in fact, they face a completely diverse task, especially in home conditions.
The unpredictable bounce and turn make wicketkeeping one of the most difficult jobs in India and with some top-quality spinners using the mystery, bring another layer of challenge. However, the likes of MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Wriddhiman Saha and Rishabh Pant have proved their credentials and been an important part of Indian teams over the years.
But who amongst the above-mentioned name is the best when it comes to keeping against spinners? Well, Indian spin master Ravichandran Ashwin has the answer. The Chennai-born recently reacted to a fan’s question on his official YouTube profile, where he was asked to select the best between Dhoni, Saha, and Karthik.
Ashwin said that all three are skilful, but he would go with Dhoni if he had to choose one. The offie mentioned that the former India skipper made wicketkeeping look really easy.
“Dhoni, Saha and DK – in that order, you can take the answer. It is very difficult to separate them behind the stumps. I’ve played a lot of cricket with Dinesh in Tamil Nadu. But if I’ve to pick one.. I think some really, really tough dismissals have been made look easy just the man behind the stumps (MS Dhoni),” said Ashwin.
Ashwin recalled a dismissal to describe Dhoni’s brilliance behind the stumps. He cited Ed Cowan‘s wicket on Day 1 of a Chennai Test where the Ranchi-born superstar executed a stumping of the batter. Ashwin said he hardly saw MSD missing anything, be it stumping, run-outs or catches.
“There’s this one dismissal of Ed Cowan in Chennai on Day 1 where he steps out and gets stump. The ball didn’t turn, but it bounced, and MS Dhoni collected the ball. I’ve hardly seen him miss anything, be it stumping or run-out catches. He’s one of the most exceptional keepers against spin. Saha is not far behind either,” added Ashwin.
