Widdhiman Saha is facing some trying times. The India wicket-keeper batsman has been told that the team is looking at his younger counterpart Rishabh Pant as long-time investment. This means one thing, Saha’s international Test career is over as he knew it. Any other player in his place would have given up by now, complaining and sulking over the circumstances. But not him.
“There is nothing to complain about the situation that I am in,” Saha told News 18.com in an exclusive. He said being sidelined is not something new, and it has happened to everyone in the past or any other country for that matter.
“Normally, it happens in every country that with age, unless the player is a superstar it is a different matter altogether, the player has to think for himself or someone would have said something which is an indication. I was getting this kind of an indication after I returned from the shoulder surgery. I knew that from then to whatever period I was going to play international cricket, there would come a time when I had to leave the game. I was always prepared for it. Whenever it happens, I will accept.”
The wicket-keeper made his India debut in 2010 Nagpur Test and had a horrendous time negotiating the pace of Dale Steyn. But he hung on and went onto play 40 Test matches for India where he accounted for 1353 runs at an average of 29.41.
When asked about his memorable Test matches, he said representing India in every match was a memorable moment for the Bengal stumper. “Keeping them aside, the best moments have been when I was not in the 11, the 2020-21 tour of Australia when we won at the Gabba, Rishabh scoring the boundary to win us the Test. That was one of the most memorable matches for me when I was not in the 11. Last series, at Lord’s, when Shami and Bumrah put up that partnership (89 unbroken for 8th wicket) and took us to a good position from where we bowled England out to win the Test, that was also a memorable Test for me,” Saha said.
Meanwhile he said his partnership with Ravi Ashwin in Windies in 2016 will stay with him forever as India was reduced to 126/5. “Against New Zealand (54* & 58*, 2016), against Australia, scored a century (117) in Ranchi batting at No. 8 (2017) and shared 199 with Pujara, the hundred (104) in the West Indies (2016) and sharing 213 partnership with Ashwin after the team was 126 for five. There are quite a few innings like that. And a lot of contributions to partnerships that may not be landmark figures but crucial from the team’s point of view with scores of 30s and 40s. My thinking has always been ‘team first’ and go with the team protocols.”
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