IND vs NZ | Rishabh Pant edges Wriddhiman Saha because of his batting, admits Ravi Shastri

IND vs NZ | Rishabh Pant edges Wriddhiman Saha because of his batting, admits Ravi Shastri

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Ahead of the Saturday Test in Hagley Oval, Ravi Shastri has said that Pant edges the experienced keeper Saha purely on the basis of his batting form. The Indian coach also admitted that the decision regarding Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja depends on the conditions and team combinations.

Following seven wins out of the eight Tests thus far, the Indian team were dealt with a brutal loss at the hands of the hosts New Zealand. That loss prompted questions over Rishabh Pant’s place in the side, with the experienced Saha sitting on the bench. However, Shastri played it down by revealing that Pant edges the experienced keeper purely because of his batting prowess. The Indian coach also added that in turning conditions, Saha would be the first choice keeper for the country. 

“In India, the emphasis is on spin, so we need quality and an experienced keeper in India, that is why we go with Saha on turning and uneven tracks. Saha, to be honest, is one of the best. Outside Asia, spin is not a big factor, so the batting is a key factor, with Pant a good batsman down the order, it tilts him in his favour over Saha and that is it. It depends on the conditions, to be honest,” Shastri said before the Hagley Oval Test. 

Another person that was in question was the off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. With three wickets in the first innings and scores of zero and four in two innings, calls for a replacement were on cards. Shastri admitted that a decision between the two spinners would be decided on the basis of the conditions. He also listed out that - batting, fielding, impact in first innings are factors in making a decision between the two Indian spinners. 

“How much of a role the spinner has, how much is on offer on Day 4 and 5, will the second innings be that important, will you need him on Day 1 and 2. Will his batting count, will his fielding count in the game? Those are the factors that we look into before a Test for not only the spinners but also the pacers,” the Indian coach said. 

The 57-year-old Mumbaikar also added that he only walks up to the batsmen when he has a solution on offer for their problems. He said that he would offer the same to any batsmen - be it Prithvi Shaw or Virat Kohli if he sees that there is an area of concern. The question was posed after Shastri was seen in the nets having a conversation with the opener Shaw. 

“You generally do that when you see something is not right with a player and have a solution to it. You don’t go to players all the time, only when it’s valid and you have a solution to correct the problem, you go there.”  

“It goes to the same for all players (Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara or Virat Kohli), when you go on the road, you tend to struggle a bit, so If I have anything to offer to them, I do go and talk to them,” he concluded. 

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