India vs South Africa: As Wriddhiman Saha wins back his Test spot, former India keeper Ajay Ratra shares the story of his comeback

IND vs SA: The foundation for Saha’s return was laid when India’s selectors sat down at New Delhi on September 12 to name the squad for the three-match Test series against South Africa.

It was a surprising call but not an unfathomable one. It was going back to one of the proven performers but not a step backwards. India’s decision to bring Wriddhiman Saha back in the XI after 22 months for the first Test against South Africa at Visakhapatnam starting on Wednesday raised a few eyebrows but sent out a clear message of ‘keeper first and batsman second’ mentality in red-ball cricket.

File photo of Indian wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha. (PTI)

Saha was preferred over Rishabh Pant, who had been donning the gloves in whites ever since the England tour in July last year. Hundreds in England and Australia, a Test average of 44.35 in 11 appearances – it sure wasn’t an easy choice to leave out Pant but India skipper Virat Kohli made it clear that they wanted ‘the best keeper in the world in these conditions’.

“Saha is fit and fine to go, and he’s going to start for us, this series, and his keeping credentials are there for everyone to see. He’s played well for us whenever he’s got a chance, with the bat also, and it was unfortunate that he was out for such a long period because of an injury, and according to me he’s the best ‘keeper in the world, so in these conditions, with what he’s done in the past, he starts for us,” Kohli said at the pre-match press conference.

It was not an overnight decision. The foundation for Saha’s return was laid when India’s selectors sat down at New Delhi on September 12 to name the squad for the three-match Test series against South Africa. “Let’s see… the team management wants a better keeper on Indian pitches,” was chief selector MSK Prasad’s response about India’s first-choice keeper.

‘Natural keeper’

So what makes Wriddhiman Saha the best keeper in the world? Better than the man – Pant – who had taken most catches by an Indian keeper in a four-match series in Australia at the start of this year. The answer lies in his work ethics.

“He (Saha) is a natural keeper, he doesn’t need to put any extra effort. His basics are very strong. Getting up with the balls’ bounce, footwork against the spinners is what makes him special. His work ethic is unbelievable,” said former India wicket-keeper Ajay Ratra in an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times.

“It’s a big challenge, there is lot of wear and tear on pitches in India. There is always some spin and bounce. On day 4 and 5 spinners start bowling fast and if it hits the rough patches, it really grips and turns, making life difficult for any keeper. But Saha is very good. He has a natural ability of following the ball off the pitch. That’s why you see him grabbing those thick edges. He follows the ball, sometimes even better than the batsman who faces it,” said Ratra, who is now the head coach of Assam.

A thumb injury during IPL followed by a career-threatening shoulder injury which required a surgery – the last 18 months or so hadn’t been that easy for the Bengal stumper. But sheer determination coupled with impeccable patience, saw him through the hard times. “The way he fought with the injuries was commendable. It was a long injury lay off. He really worked hard during the rehab.”

Ratra was actually the one turning things around for Saha during his stint with him at NCA in Bangalore earlier this year. “When I was with him in NCA, he was open to suggestion, he was very flexible. I was amazed to see how every ball hit the middle of his gloves. It’s the feeling you get when the ball flies after hitting the middle of a bat,” Ratra explained.

In the two weeks that Ratra worked with Saha at NCA, the former India keeper focused on the latter’s diving technique to avoid reoccurrence of his shoulder injuries. “We had to take care of his shoulder. We worked on his diving technique and rolling. We wanted to make sure that his shoulder injury doesn’t reoccur when he dives,” Ratra stated.

‘Not a keeper but a keeper-batsman’

With Hanuma Vihari at No.6 and all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin behind him, there really shouldn’t be any pressure on Saha when it comes to batting but Ratra believed Saha the batsman is good enough to do any job. “See his main job is to keep well and perhaps turn the match with a brilliant catch or stumping but he is very good batsman too. 3 Test hundreds are no mean feat. He is technically very sound and when needed he can also accelerate. When you look at Rishabh then it might appear that Wriddhi hasn’t done that well with the bat but I think the team can bank on him even as a batsman. He should really be considered as a keeper batsman,” Ratra added.