'What's happening?' - Twitter baffled after India prefers Wriddhiman Saha over Rishabh Pant for Adelaide Test against Australia

Pant had slammed a brilliant ton in the day-night warm-up game.

By Sakshi Jain

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Wriddhiman Saha and Rishabh Pant
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Wriddhiman Saha and Rishabh Pant. (Photo Source: Twitter)

India’s young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant’s future in the Indian cricket team stands under a lot of questions after he failed to make it to the Playing XI of the inaugural Test between India and Australia. On Wednesday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India’s XI for the first Test of the four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, starting from December 17 in Adelaide. 

There were no substantial changes in the line-up as the captain and management decided to trust their regular side to help them retain the trophy again. There were speculations that young Rishabh Pant might get a nod ahead of Wriddhiman Saha for donning the gloves for the visitors. However, the selectors thought otherwise and went with the experienced man behind the stumps. 

In their last tour to Australia, India, led by Virat Kohli, had created a history by winning their first Test series on the Australian soil by 2-1 in 2018-19. Rishabh Pant had essayed the role of the wicketkeeper for the entire tour and had played an instrumental role both with the bat and gloves in his team’s victory. 

Rishabh Pant had a decent Test series down under last time

In the first Test match in Adelaide Oval in 2018, the gloveman, playing in only his sixth Test match, had reached a milestone of taking the most catches in a Test game. He had matched the record of most catches taken by England’s Jack Russell and South Africa’s AB de Villiers by snaring 11 catches behind the stumps.

Along with that, the southpaw had hammered 350 runs across four games at an average of 58.33 and had taken as many as 20 catches. He had also launched an assault on the Australian bowlers in the Sydney Test by registering his highest Test score of 159* off just 189 deliveries. 

Rishabh Pant hasn’t featured in any international game for the Men in Blue since the Australia tour of India earlier this year. However, he had filed a case for himself of getting included in the first Test against Australia by playing a scintillating knock in the second day-night warm-up against Australia A. 

The 23-year-old had smashed a stunning 103 runs off 77 deliveries but his knock went in vain as selectors showed faith in Saha for essaying the role of the wicketkeeper for the team.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

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