A day after Wriddhiman Saha was told that his days as India cricket over, the wicketkeeper batter opened up on certain 'indications' he received from the team management which suggested the 37-year-old that his time was up. With Rishabh Pant rested for the Test series against New Zealand in November, Saha was back keeping wicket for India, and despite not many giving him a chance, the keeper batter scored a gritty half-century in the first Test in Kanpur to save India the blushes in the second innings.
Yet, despite his knock, Saha reveals he knew that come the tour of South Africa, he would sit out and Rishabh Pant was take his place back. Responding to critics who felt Saha’s career is finished, the veteran wicketkeeper, after two surgeries and still going strong, hinted at certain ‘indications’ that made him aware of his future.
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"I think even before the Kanpur Test, a lot of people tried to prove that I was finished. After I underwent the surgery in 2018, I was the second wicketkeeper, so I think since then, a lot of people were indicating that my time is up. Even though nobody said anything openly, there were enough indications that maybe, they are planning something different," Saha told Sportstar.
"Even after playing that knock that in Kanpur, I knew Rishabh Pant will be playing in South Africa because it was clearly announced that I was drafted into the final eleven since Rishabh was on a break. So, it was obvious that he would be the regular wicketkeeper when available. I always knew that."
{{/usCountry}}"Even after playing that knock that in Kanpur, I knew Rishabh Pant will be playing in South Africa because it was clearly announced that I was drafted into the final eleven since Rishabh was on a break. So, it was obvious that he would be the regular wicketkeeper when available. I always knew that."
{{/usCountry}}Having made his India debut in 2010, Saha, a veteran of 40 Tests, has played under several coaches – from Gary Kirsten to now Rahul Dravid. He looked back at how India giving KS Bharat a call-up to their squad in the home series against England was an example of a privilege he never enjoyed.
"I have played under several head coaches - Gary Kirsten, Duncan Fletcher, Ravi Shastri - but no one ever asked me about any long-term plan. There were no such questions or discussions. During the home series against England last year, Kona (K.S. Bharath) was brought in as the reserve. So, does not that indicate that he is in the reckoning? It was obvious that they were bringing him into the squad with a (long-term) plan and allowing him to get used to the set-up," he pointed out.