MSK Prasad Hints of a Competition Between Wriddhiman Saha and Rishabh Pant
Feb 1, 2019 at 7:59 PM
The chairman of Team India‘s selection committee, MSK Prasad on Friday (February 1), revealed Bengal-based wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha is in the grand scheme of things even though being out of the national team since January 2018. He is equally impressed with exciting Rishabh Pant.
The first-choice wicketkeeper Saha has been at the crossroads, eventually plagued by multiple injuries. His career-threatening shoulder injury has kept him out of the game for over a year now since the South Africa tour.
Moreover, Prasad reiterated Saha had been No.1 keeper before the injury. However, the 21-year-old young sensation Pant has equally made most out of his opportunity by yielding desired results.
The Delhi star Pant has put up a good show in the Test series Down Under where he smashed unbeaten 159 at Sydney in the drawn Test fixture.
In the four-match historic series against Australia, Pant amassed 350 runs to become second leading run-scorer after Cheteshwar Pujara (521). Thus, it eventually saw India clinching the Test series 2-1.
Aggressive in his approach Pant has backed his instincts to keep on pushing himself to score runs. He equally did a decent job behind gloves in Australia.
With competition growing far and wide, the national selectors of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would’ve had severe headaches when Saha would regain full fitness.
Without any hesitation, Prasad maintained Saha holds importance in the Test format.
“Saha has been our No.1 wicketkeeper till he got injured. Subsequently, we have given an opportunity to young Rishabh, which he has grabbed with both hands. Having said that, Saha is still in our scheme of things for the longer format,” Prasad told Cricbuzz.
Pant, who made his Test debut in August at Trent Bridge against hosts England, smashed a magnificent ton in the United Kingdom (UK) at Oval, to become India’s first gloveman to record a century in English conditions.
In addition to, Pant slammed a couple of the fifties against the Windies at home.
So far, Pant has amassed 696 runs in nine Tests. He smashed two tons and two half-centuries while donning the whites. Also, he made ten appearances in 10 Twenty20 Internationals, and three ODIs.
On the other side, the 34-year-old Saha has represented India in 32 Tests, and nine ODIs. He has amassed 1164 runs at an average of 30.63. Furthermore, he has three centuries and five fifties to his name in the traditional format.
MSK Prasad on India’s win in Australia:
The 43-year-old former Indian cricketer Prasad has hailed the efforts of Team India for their historic victory on Australia soil. He added it’s a remarkable achievement with the way things have had been happening for the national side.
“It’s a huge honour for me and my colleagues that we are at the helm when such a historical feat has been achieved. Like any another passionate Indian cricket admirer, I feel very happy that this team has achieved a phenomenal milestone after 71 years on Australian soil,” Prasad concluded.
The time will decide with whom the selectors will stick shortly. But Pant’s meteoric rise has undoubtedly grabbed the eyeballs in the cricketing world.