Veteran India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik said that he has full sympathy for Wriddhiman Saha but backed the Indian team management’s decision to prefer Rishabh Pant as their first choice wicketkeeper in Tests.
He further said that being told that he would not be selected in the Indian team going forward is difficult to swallow for Saha, but stressed that Pant had been doing an excellent job and had nailed his place in the side, and deserved to be Team India’s full-time keeper.
Karthik said in the ICC Review: “You can see Rishabh Pant has pretty much nailed his place in the team. So then, you can understand which direction the Indian team is going in where they feel that if it's going to be a second keeper role, then they'll look at somebody younger.”
He added, “I'm pretty sure from wherever I've seen with Wriddhiman's interviews; he understands where this decision is coming from. I know no cricketer is going to accept that when you're being told to move on. It is a very hard one because this is what they've been doing day in and day out.
All of us want to represent the country and that is the burning desire for everybody. So when somebody comes in says, 'I think your time is done,' it can be a hard one to swallow. But it is understandable and you have to understand where the selectors, the coach, and the captain are coming from.”
Hailing Saha's contributions to Indian cricket, the veteran keeper said: “Kudos to Wriddhiman Saha. I think he has been one of those brilliant, quiet servants of Indian cricket who has done so well over a period of years. He is still one of the best wicketkeepers in the world, by a distance - I rate him as the best wicketkeeper in the world. He has got great hands; he moves really well... he is a terrific wicketkeeper. And add to the fact, he has a few centuries in international cricket and played some really crucial, important knocks when Team India needed it.”
Karthik also pointed that that just like MS Dhoni’s emergence didn’t allow space for other keepers, the same thing has happened with Saha too, following the emergence of Pant and he said that decision is understandable.
Karthik concluded, “Just like Dhoni came in all those years ago, we've had a Pant who's come in over the last couple of years and has done really well. When that happens, Saha has obviously become the second wicketkeeper and he has been traveling with the team and playing the odd match here and there.”
(With PTI Inputs)
