'Rishabh Pant can give you 10 years in Test cricket, Wriddhiman Saha cannot': Former selector Sarandeep Singh

Commenting on the never-ending debate on India's first-choice keeper in Tests, former selector Sarandeep Singh said Rishabh Pant can give India 10 years in the longest format but the same cannot be said about Wriddhiman Saha.

Former India cricketer and selector Sarandeep Singh praised Rishabh Pant for fighting through fitness issues and improving his technique to make a stunning comeback in international cricket. Commenting on the never-ending debate on India's first-choice keeper in Tests, Sarandeep said Pant can give India 10 years but the same cannot be said about Wriddhiman Saha.

Rishabh Pant in a Test match against England(Reuters)

After Pant was left out of India's limited-overs squad for Australia, it seemed like his international has hit a roadblock. But Pant made a stunning return in Tests and made match-turning contributions in Sydney and in Adelaide to help India win the series Down Under. He carried on in the same vein of form in the Tests against England, scoring the match-winning ton in the 4th Test.

Pant performed superbly in the limited-overs format against England as well and has become the topic of discussion ahead of IPL 2021.

"No praise will be enough for Pant. He had some fitness issues, worked on that, and worked on his shot selection. If you expect a 21-year-old to play like a 30-year-old, it is tough to start with. You see Hardik (Pandya), the way he bats now with experience, the same thing has been seen in Pant now in the last six months or so," Sarandeep Singh told news agency PTI.

"He was out of the team which was good for him. There is a right time and right ball to hit. The way he played in Australia shows he has gained a lot of experience. He is picking and choosing," he added.

"He can give you 10 years in Test cricket, Saha cannot and he has become the number one choice," Sarandeep added.

"In ODIs, Shreyas got injured so Rishabh played. When he is back, KL should be the wicketkeeper because he has been keeping wickets for a long time and is doing a fine job," he further said.

Pant will turn up for the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2021 as their new captain as regular captain Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of the tournament due to a shoulder injury.