Rishabh Pant may have grabbed the headlines with his match-winning knock in the series-decider against Australia at the Gabba, but veteran wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha on Friday (January 22) said the youngster will also improve his skills behind the stumps gradually.
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Saha, who is regarded as a superior wicketkeeper to Pant, also added that he doesn’t see the latter’s heroics in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as the end of road for him in the national Test team.
"You can ask him (Pant), we have a friendly relationship and help each other whoever gets into the XI. Personally, there's no conflict with him," Saha told PTI in an exclusive chat after returning from Australia.
"I don’t see who is No 1 or 2... Team will give a chance to those who does better. I will continue to do my job. Selection is not in my hands, it's up to the management."
Saha showered rich praise on Pant, who smashed 89 not out to help India chase down the target of 328 in the fourth innings at the Gabba.
"No one learns algebra in class I. You always go step by step. He is giving his best and will definitely improve. He has always matured and proved himself. In the long run, it augurs well for the Indian team,” he said of Pant who faced citicism for his keeping skills in Australia.
"The way he has shown his intent after being sidelined from his favourite T20/ODI formats was really exceptional."
Saha featured in the Test series opener at the Adelaide Oval and registered the scores of 9 and 4 in the two innings. Pant was preferred over him for the last three Tests and the southpaw didn’t disappoint, amassing 274 runs from five innings at an average of 68.50.
"Anyone can go through a bad phase. A professional player always accepts the highs and lows, be it with form or criticism," Saha said.
"I was unable to score runs that's why Pant got the chance. It's as simple as that. I always focused on improving my skills and never gave a thought to my career, even when I started playing cricket. It's the same approach now," he further remarked.
For Saha, the series win was "no less than a World Cup triumph" because of the way India bounced back from 36 all out in Adelaide despite losing many key players to injuries.
"Even though I did not play (in three matches), I enjoyed every moment of it.
"We faced challenges in putting up XI players, so it was an outstanding feat, an outstanding team effort. Definitely, it will be one of our greatest series wins."
(With PTI inputs)
