'I would just wait': Wriddhiman Saha backs Rishabh Pant as 'India's first-choice keeper in England'

Now as India travel to England for the highly-anticipated World Test Championship final and the following five-match Test series, both Saha and Pant are named in the squad. But Saha believes that Pant has earned the right to be India's first-choice-keeper.

It has been nearly six years since MS Dhoni announced his retirement from Test cricket. But the debate over his replacement as India's first-choice Test wicketkeeper has still continued. Wriddhiman Saha, because of his better keeping abilities, pipped the likes of Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul to emerge as the first choice early on.

Rishabh Pant and Wriddhiman Saha. (File)

But with injuries continuing to hamper his career, Rishabh Pant kept getting opportunities at regular intervals, and he made the most of it. In 2020, when Pant was going through a rough patch, Saha was picked as the keeper in the first Test against Australia in Adelaide. But he failed to get runs on the board, and Pant was given a chance in the remaining Tests.

He once again picked the bull by its horn and went on a rampage in Australia, becoming a key protagonist in India's heroic win Down Under. He continued in the same vein of form against England in the home Test series earlier this year and helped India win the four-match series 3-1.

Now as India travel to England for the highly-anticipated World Test Championship final and the following five-match Test series, both Saha and Pant are named in the squad. But Saha believes that Pant has earned the right to be India's 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.

Saha further said that he continues to remain in the same positive mind frame whether he is getting a chance to perform or not.

“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.

“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,” he said.

Meanwhile, the BCCI on Thursday announced the decision to include Andhra wicketkeeper KS Bharat in the squad. Saha contracted the Covid-19 virus in Sunrisers Hyderabad's IPL camp, and Bharat has been included in the squad as his cover.

On being asked about the same, Saha said: “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 further explained.