Team Management Playing With The Career Of Wriddhiman Saha, Says Ex-Chief Selector

India’s decision to drop Wriddhiman Saha from the playing eleven for the two-Test series in New Zealand has raised a number of eyebrows and rightly so. The Indian team-management sprung a big surprise by playing Rishabh Pant ahead of Wriddhiman Saha in both the Tests.

At the start of the home season last year, India dropped Pant in order to make room for Wriddhiman Saha. The senior wicketkeeper impressed straightaway in the challenging conditions and was also hailed by Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri as the best in the world.

On the other hand, Pant lost his place in the ODI and T20I playing eleven too. But despite that, the team-management gave him the responsibility to keep the wickets in the testing conditions of New Zealand. Well, the move did not pay off as Pant managed to score just 60 runs in two Tests and India ended up suffering a whitewash.

The decision to play Pant ahead of Saha has invited criticism from all around and former India batsman and ex-chairman of selectors Sandeep Patil has also joined the bandwagon. He slammed the team-management’s decision while throwing his support behind the Bengal wicketkeeper.

“You are promoting Rishabh Pant, but playing with the career of Wriddhiman Saha,” Sandeep Patil said.

“Saha will be always be my first choice as wicketkeeper simply because you need experience and he is more experienced. Saha has also always rescued the team so why are you taking away his batting confidence? I know what Saha is capable of. I was in the West Indies when he scored that hundred,” he added, referring to the August 2016 St Lucia Test where, thanks to centuries from Saha and Ravichandran Ashwin, India were able to put up a competitive total of 353 and went on to win the Test by 237 runs.

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