With just little than a month to go for the WTC final, the Wriddhiman Saha-Rishabh Pant debate has once again caught the attention of the Indian cricket fans and media. Saha, who tested COVID negative on the third attempt is a part of the Indian squad for the final which is currently quarantining in Mumbai. Pant too is a part of the squad. The BCCI also added KS Bharat as Saha’s cover for the final and the subsequent England series.
Meanwhile, Wriddhiman Saha has backed Pant as Team India’s first-choice keeper in the WTC final. Saha believes that Pant has earned the right to be India’s first-choice-keeper.
Rishabh Pant Should Be Our First Choice Keeper: Wriddhiman Saha
“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.
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The Test series against Australia saw Pant emerge for India both with the bat and the gloves. He single-handedly won matches for India in Melbourne and The Gabba. He almost won the match for India in Sydney too. This made the selectors keep Pant in the playing XI ahead of Saha.
Wriddhiman Saha further said that he continues to remain in the same positive mind frame whether he is getting a chance to perform or not.
“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”.
Saha also had his view on Bharat being picked as his cover for the Test series. He said because he was affected by the virus, the BCCI thought it was safe to go ahead with an extra option in case of any emergency situation.
“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” Saha explained.
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