Former Australia batsman Michael Bevan named Wriddhiman Saha a better wicket-keeper batsman than Rishabh Pant. The debate over Pant vs Saha has raged after later was picked in the playing XI for the Test series opener in Adelaide.
Undoubtedly, it was a surprising decision of the team management as Pant was the first choice of team India for wicketkeeper-batsman in overseas tests. Earlier this year, in both the New Zealand Tests, Pant was handed over the responsibility of wicketkeeping. While last year, Saha held the wickets for the entire home season. Pant was also backed to keep his test spot playing eleven after scoring a 73-ball tonne in the second round of the tournament.
However, the decision of picking Saha as a wicket-keeper batsman in the Adelaide Test came out as a surprise for everyone. Saha also failed to impress with his bat as he departed for 9 and 4 in the innings he played in the first Test against the hosts. Talking about wicket-keeping, he didn’t do miracles in that field too as he missed a couple of tough chances.
Opening up on the debate over Pant vs Saha, the Australian great said that Wriddhiman Saha a better wicket-keeper. He also claimed that a wicketkeeper should not be selected only on his batting abilities by the squad. Instead of replacing the wicketkeeper to help the batting, Bevan claimed the team management had to make other decisions.
“I haven’t seen both (Pant and Saha) but from what I understand is that Saha is a better wicketkeeper. I think that when you are looking a batting line up, you don’t want to pick a keeper-batsman just because your batting line up isn’t performing,” Michael Bevan told CricketAddictor.
“If your batting line up isn’t performing, you just want to try and ensure that you are making the right changes that will enhance the batting line up,” he added.
Notably, in the next Test against the hosts, Rishabh Pant can get a chance in the playing XI as he is considered as the better batsman than Wriddhiman Saha.
In both innings, India’s lower middle-order looked struggling as they were on 188 for 3 at one point in the first innings before being all out for 244. They were all out for just 36 in the second innings and lost the game by eight wickets.