NEWS
Follow UsWriddhiman Saha has backed Rishabh Pant to be India's first-choice wicketkeeper during the England tour. India take on New Zealand in the World Test Championship (WTC) final on June 18, followed by a five-match Test series against England, scheduled to begin from August 4.
“Rishabh Pant played the last few matches of the World Test Championship, he’s done well and he should be our first-choice keeper in England. I would just wait, and if any opportunity arises, I will give my best. I will keep practicing for that one chance,” Saha told Sportskeeda.
other than being excellent behind the wickets, Pant has played match-winning knocks against Australia and more recently against England to further cement his place in the team.
After recovering from Covid-19, Saha is set to join the team in Mumbai in the pre-departure bio-secure bubble. the BCCI on Thursday (May 20) added Andhra 'keeper KS Bharat as a back-up option, which was said to be a cover for Saha. “I didn’t have COVID-19 during the last series but KS Bharat was still with the team. Now that I contracted the infection, people are labelling him as my ‘cover’. But I feel they have picked a third keeper bearing in mind the risk outside.” Saha explained.
The Bengal wicketkeeper was dropped from the XI, following India;'s debacle in the Adelaide Test against Australia, but believes that the team management still has faith in him. “If the team management didn’t have faith in me, then they wouldn’t have selected me only. But that I am on that plane is because they have some faith,” Saha said.