IND vs BAN | Every ball was an examination, reveals Wriddhiman Saha after the Pink Ball Test
India's first-choice Test wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha impressed one and all with his excellent glove-work during India's pink-ball Test and he said that he just kept the basics simple which helped him to keep well. In front of 70,000 spectators, Saha completed 100 dismissals in Test cricket.
Wriddhiman Saha is repaying the faith shown by the selectors by producing yet another wicket-keeping masterclass, this time against the swinging pink-ball in India's D/N test against Bangladesh. The stage was set as there were 70,000 spectators, who were on their feet to witness history in the making and local boy Saha completed 100 dismissals in Test cricket, showcasing some excellent wicket-keeping skills. India managed to beat Bangladesh comfortably inside three days to manage a 2-0 whitewash over the visitors.
"Against the pink ball, which was swinging a lot after passing the batsmen, every ball was an examination. I told my teammates this is another trial that I am being made to go through in front of 70,000 people and there was no way I could fail. I just focus on the ball till the very last second and commit, There is no point in complicating things. If you keep your technique simple, you will get your rewards," Saha told the Economic Times.
"I am not doing anything different, to be honest. I remain as still as possible till the time the ball is released by the bowler. That’s when my intensity peaks and I start to make my adjustment," he added.Â
Saha was in and out of the Indian team for the most part of his Test-career due to injuries. But he always managed to come back stronger and make justice to the tag of the best wicket-keeper presently in India. Saha was out with a major shoulder injury and his replacement Rishabh Pant was scoring hundreds in England and Australia which made the Indian selectors persist with Pant even though Saha was fit. But Saha stated that he never felt even for a moment that he won't be able to make a comeback.
"I have always tried to control things that are in my hands. What isn’t controllable should just be left alone. It is not in my hands to get picked in the first eleven. You can’t get frustrated if you are not picked. You have to keep working hard and wait for your turn. And once you are given an opportunity just try and make the most of it. While I was out with an injury, at no point did I ever give up or feel I wouldn’t be able to come back," Saha asserted.
"I never lost focus that’s for sure. But yes, the comeback has been good and I am very happy with the way things have progressed in the last two months," he revealed.
Saha has currently undergone surgery on his fractured finger but with India playing their next Test aginst New Zealand in February, Saha is hopeful of being fully fit and continuing the good work that he has done since coming back in the team from the South Africa series.
"No I haven’t started planning but I will when the tour is two weeks away. While I haven’t played in New Zealand, I was there when Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) captained the team and I have seen things as closely as I could have. The bounce is true and I don’t think it should be a problem for me. It is a great opportunity for us to do well as a team and that’s what each of us wants to do," Saha concluded