Wriddhiman Saha and Rishabh Pant
An atmosphere has been created that under-fire Rishabh Pant is a bad wicketkeeper, cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has said over India's preferred gloveman ahead of the second Test against Australia. Pant, who slammed a blistering ton in the second warm-up game in Sydney, was backed by many to start over Wriddhiman Saha in the pink-ball Test.
Labelled as a better wicketkeeper between the two, 36-year-old Saha was instead given a nod by the team management for the first Test. He, however, failed to get runs in both the match, registering scores of 9 and 4 in first and second innings respectively.
Altogether, it was a lacklustre batting show from the entire batting unit, which resulted into India registering their lowest ever Test total. Following India's annihilation and skipper Virat Kohli's departure, the visitors might look to shuffle the squad and give Pant a chance instead of Saha. Pant also boasts an impressive batting record in Australia, having scored 350 runs at an average of over 50 in 4 Tests during the 2018-19 tour.
Commenting on the wicketkeeping conundrum, Chopra said that a wrong impression has been created that Pant cannot keep wickets or that Saha cannot bat.
“This is one change that can probably happen. I am not advocating that but just starting a conversation. Since Virat Kohli is leaving, you will play Shubman Gill or KL Rahul instead of him. So, your batting has already become weaker,” Chopra said in a reply to a question from a fan in a video uploaded on his Facebook page.
“If you want to play a better keeper at No.7, that is Saha. It is not the case that Saha cannot bat, and it is not that Pant can’t keep wickets," he further said.
In Kohli's absence, Ajinkya Rahane will be leading the side and the team management is expected to make as many as four changes for the Boxing Day Test, scheduled to start from December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
“Till now, the atmosphere has been created that Pant is a bad keeper. How is that the case, as he takes very good catches, and last time on the Australian tour, he had taken the maximum catches; and Saha cannot bat; how can he not as he has a Test century.
“If you have in mind that you should play a left-hander, there is no other left-hander in the lineup, and there is no game-changer. I am okay with it, but I am not going to criticise if you play Saha,” concluded Chopra.
