Follow UsRishabh Pant’s accident has opened up Pandora's box for the Indian team in the longest format heading into the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) final. While Srikar Bharat was India’s first-choice wicketkeeper at home in the four-match Test series against Australia, there were rumours floating that KL Rahul would become a real option.
However, his injury has now put Bharat back on track, and in pole position of playing the final despite the late inclusion of Ishan Kishan. There were even rumours that Wriddhiman Saha could potentially make a comeback but the 38-year-old has ruled it out, stating that his focus is only on playing franchise cricket, for Gujarat Titans.
“I am playing franchise cricket, so I am only thinking about that. Rest is not in my control, so I am not even thinking about it,” Saha said on Tuesday, during a virtual interaction, reported Sportstar.
The 38-year-old last played for the national team in 2021, during the tour of South Africa, and since then have been frozen out of the squad. Indian head coach Rahul Dravid too had told the 38-year-old that he was no longer a contender to make it to the Test squad. Saha said that all he wants to do at the moment is enjoy the game and continue putting on a show.
“You can say that I am almost at the fag end of my cricketing career. When I started playing, I enjoyed the game and that’s why I continued with it. As long as I enjoy that - be it in domestic cricket or in the IPL - and can contribute to the team’s success, I will try and continue. Whether teams pick me or not is for later, but I can just focus on my job,” he said with a smile.
Interestingly, Saha shares a dressing room with Bharat for the Gujarat Titans, and the 38-year-old revealed that he has imparted wisdom to the youngster ahead of the trip to England, where India will take on Australia.
“Bharat and I have been part of the national camp and the India A team. So, we have discussed a lot of things in terms of keeping drills, and this year, too, we have spoken at length about keeping, batting and how to approach different situations. And, it’s not just with Bharat, I try to have these words with whichever youngster I converse with. That has been the motto of the team,” Saha said.
“With Kona (Bharat), we discussed how things went on the keeping front in the last few series and what he needs to work on. When we do our drills together, these are the aspects that we talk about. Step by step, he is working on those areas and will gradually improve…”