Windies vs India: Syed Kirmani wants Wriddhiman Saha to replace Rishabh Pant in Jamaica Test

Wriddhiman Saha, who was India’s regular Test keeper after MS Dhoni hung his boots, recently made his international comeback. Ever since India’s tour of South Africa back in 2018, he has faced a number of injury concerns that kept him out of the sport. However, the Bengal cricketer was earlier picked in the squad for the Test series versus the Windies that the visitors are leading 1-0.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t make the eleven in the Antigua Test and Rishabh Pant was preferred ahead of him. Pant made his debut last year in September and already has centuries in England and Australia. Going into the second Test at Kingston Jamaica, starting August 30, Syed Kirmani, the former Indian cricketer, wants Saha to be included in place of the left-handed Pant.

Saha has to be given equal opportunity, says Kirmani

Kirmani reckons that keeping is the most difficult task on the field and believes that Pant has a lot to learn. On the other hand, the veteran has called for equal chances for both Pant and Saha and therefore wants the latter to feature in the last encounter of the Caribbean tour.

“Yeh abhi jhule main hai (He is still in his infancy). He is God gifted but needs to learn a lot. It’s the most difficult position on the field. Not everyone can do keeping by just wearing a pair of gloves. Saha, unfortunately, had some injury problems. He has to be given equal opportunity,” Kirmani was quoted as saying in Times Now.

As per Kirmani, if Saha doesn’t end up with a game on the tour, then there was no point of including him at the first place. He wants the performances to be taken into consideration before zeroing in on team selections. “What’s the point of keeping him in the side, if you do not give him a chance? We have to judge on pure performance.

Saha came to Indian side following his consistency at the domestic level. But when you’re out of picture, somebody else takes over your place, so the likes of Karthik and Pant came into the picture. Now we have to see who’s more consistent on the field — be it in batting, wicketkeeping or in terms of all-round abilities,”  Kirmani added.

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