Wicketkeeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha has made a comeback to India's Test playing XI for the start of the home series against South Africa after a long injury layoff that saw him sidelined for over 20 months since his last appearance in January 2018. 

The 34-year-old has been picked ahead of Rishabh Pant for the Visakhapatnam Test by the team management as he offers a more dependable keeping option on turning pitches in India. 

India captain Virat Kohli, in fact, made it a point to convey that Saha was always the first-choice wicketkeeper in the pecking order despite Pant's brilliant performances with the bat since debut last year. 

"Saha is fit and fine to go, and he’s going to start for us, this series, and his keeping credentials are there for everyone to see," said Kohli at the pre-match press conference. 

Read Also: Virat Kohli explains the decision to replace Rishabh Pant with Wriddhiman Saha

"He’s played well for us whenever he’s got a chance, with the bat also, and it was unfortunate that he was out for such a long period because of an injury, and according to me he’s the best ‘keeper in the world, so in these conditions, with what he’s done in the past, he starts for us."

Now, former India keeper Ajay Ratra explained what makes Saha arguably the best first-class gloveman in the world. 

"He (Saha) is a natural keeper, he doesn’t need to put any extra effort. His basics are very strong. Getting up with the balls’ bounce, footwork against the spinners is what makes him special. His work ethic is unbelievable," Ratra told Hindustan Times. 

"It’s a big challenge, there is lot of wear and tear on pitches in India. There is always some spin and bounce. On day 4 and 5 spinners start bowling fast and if it hits the rough patches, it really grips and turns, making life difficult for any keeper."

"But Saha is very good. He has a natural ability of following the ball off the pitch. That’s why you see him grabbing those thick edges. He follows the ball, sometimes even better than the batsman who faces it," he added. 

A thumb injury followed by a shoulder surgery threatened to put a premature end to Saha's Test career for India. But the man worked extremely hard at the NCA during a lengthy rehabilitation programme to be able to bounce back as Ratra saw from close quarters in a stint with him. 

"The way he fought with the injuries was commendable. It was a long injury lay off. He really worked hard during the rehab." 

"When I was with him in NCA, he was open to suggestion, he was very flexible. I was amazed to see how every ball hit the middle of his gloves. It’s the feeling you get when the ball flies after hitting the middle of a bat," he said. 

"We had to take care of his shoulder. We worked on his diving technique and rolling. We wanted to make sure that his shoulder injury doesn’t reoccur when he dives."

(Inputs from HT)