India’s wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha admitted the fact he knew he won’t get a lot of opportunities to play as long as MS Dhoni was playing for the national side. Dhoni was leading the side and he was irreplaceable as a wicket-keeper, finisher, and a leader. Saha added that he knew he had to make the most of the opportunities whenever he was getting them.
In fact, it was in the fag end of 2014 when Dhoni decided to hang his boots from the red-ball version which was not his forte as compared to the limited-overs version. Dhoni called time on his Test career on the tour of Australia and then Wriddhiman Saha started to get his chances in the red-ball version.
MS Dhoni is one of the greatest ever.
Saha also recalled his Test debut against South Africa at Nagpur in 2010. VVS Laxman was suffering from a finger injury and thus Rohit Sharma was called as a replacement as he had scored a century for the Board President XI. However, on the eve of the Test match, Saha and Rohit collided in the practice session in an attempt to take a catch, and the latter suffered an ankle injury, which ruled him out of the Test match.
Subsequently, Wriddhiman Saha got a chance to make his Test debut. However, Saha was dismissed for naught in the first innings whereas he scored 36 in the second dig.
Saha added that Dhoni had set the benchmark high and he went on to learn a lot from him. Meanwhile, Saha also recalled that coach Gary Kirsten had asked him to do his own practice.
Saha has shown great wicket-keeping skills.
“I didn’t replace MS Dhoni, I got chance after he left playing Test cricket. The Test in which I debuted, VVS Laxman was not playing because of finger injury. Rohit Sharma was called to replace him (in Nagpur Test match vs South Africa) as he had scored a good hundred in the Board President match,” Saha said while talking to Sports Tak.
“On the match day during the practice, Rohit collided with me. Both of us got ankle injury but he got it more. MS Dhoni was going for toss and I was giving throw downs to Subramaniam Badrinath, on his way told me ‘Saha tu Khel Rha h (Saha you are playing)’.”
“Gary Kirsten had told me, MS Dhoni is in the team and so you will not play. He asked me to do my own practice. That’s why I played the net bowlers and then directly went on to play Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. MS Dhoni had set his standard and I learn from him to date,” Saha added.
There is no doubt that Saha went on to impress with his wicket-keeping skills. Saha is brilliant behind the wickets when he is keeping for the spinners. However, the Bengal wicket-keeper batsman could not make the cut into the final XI in the two-match Test series against New Zealand as Rishabh Pant was given a chance. However, Saha had kept the wickets in India’s home season.