Wriddhiman Saha
Wriddhiman Saha. (Credits: BCCI)

India wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha played his first Test match way back in 2010. Fast forward to 2020 and the Bengal star has managed to play just 37 games in the last one decade. And the prime reason behind it was the presence of the legendary MS Dhoni.

While MS Dhoni retired in 2014, he and Wriddhiman Saha played only 1 Test match together. Dhoni was already the captain when Wriddhiman Saha made his debut and remained the captain till his retirement in 2014. During that period, Wriddhiman Saha had no other option but to wait patiently for the rare opportunities.

In a recent interview, the India Test star opened up on that phase and made it clear that he holds no grudge about that. The soft-spoken 35-year old also said that he didn’t replace Dhoni but instead got a chance to play more frequently after his retirement. Saha also narrated the events which led to his Test debut.

“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,” Wriddhiman Saha was quoted as saying by India Today.

“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)’.”

Wriddhiman Saha
Wriddhiman Saha (Credits: Twitter)

“Garry 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 Mornie Morkel. MS Dhoni had set his standard and I learn from him till date,” he added.

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He further said that he has lived his life with a positive attitude as he insisted that Dhoni’s presence also did not demotivate him. He said that instead of being demotivated, he tried to learn from the legendary Indian captain.

“His keeping or batting style, his stumping in fraction of seconds, there are a lot of things to learn. He 2-4 years older to me, I was knowing that if MS Dhoni is playing I will not get to play. Nobody likes sitting outside but with MS Dhoni in the team there is no option left. So, I learnt the maximum from and performed whenever given chance. I asked him during the Nagpur Test match that who would keep. He said ‘obviously I will keep, you are a good fielder, you go and field’,” he said.

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