HomeOpinionsSaha's contribution with bat will determine IND's progress in Tests
Wriddhiman Saha’s contribution with bat will determine India’s progress in Tests
Vital runs down the order change the complexion of a game for any side in the longer format and Saha needs to lead from the front for India in this aspect.
India have dominated West Indies in the first Test as they won by a whopping margin of an innings and 92 runs. The writing was pretty much on the wall when Team India’s bowlers wrecked havoc of an inexperienced West Indies batting line-up on Day Three, when they grabbed 11 wickets, with Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav getting four-fors. They continued the good show With Ravichandran Ashwin joining in the party with seven wickets in the second innings, along with an impactful contribution by Amit Mishra.This was an all-round performance by the visitors as everyone contributed to the win. Wriddhiman Saha, along with his 40 in the first innings, equaled the record of most dismissals (5 catches and 1 stumping) in an innings, with Syed Kirmani and MS Dhoni, by an Indian wicket-keeper though his total match tally reached 7, with 6 catches and 1 stumping. No doubt he is an effective wicketkeeper but this is the ideal series for him to get some runs before India’s heads back home to host New Zealand, England and Australia. Let’s talk a look at how important it is for Saha to shine with the bat for India. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: India vs West Indies 2016, 1st Test at Antigua
Should Saha also be promoted up the batting order?
Saha came into bat at No. 7 as Ashwin was promoted up the order. He came when Virat Kohli departed for a classy double century with India at 404 for 5. He added 71 runs with Ashwin and made a fluent 40 off 88 balls which paved the way for a timely declaration by India in their first outing with the bat. He did play a part in adding more misery on the opposition, but he got out after getting a start. If we see his last two series, against Sri Lanka and South Africa, he had a decent and lackluster outing respectively, in both the series. He played two Tests versus Sri Lanka and scored 131 runs with an average of 43.66. He had two fifties, both at vital times, and did his part behind the stumps as well.
After the 0-2 and 2-3 loss against South Africa in the limited-overs leg, India were eager to bounce back in the four-Test series under Kohli. Saha played in all matches but his bat remained silent on most occasions. He finished the series with only 83 runs in 6 innings, although he had a few chances to add valuable runs for his side. It has been noticed that Saha has been entrusted with the responsibility of batting with the tail as he is often the last recognised batsmen for the team. Maybe promoting him in the batting order can work well for the team just like it did for Ashwin. Ashwin has justified his promotion with the bat with a stylish hundred in the first Test, but there is no harm in doing the same for Saha. ALSO READ: Shami credits his daughter for comeback in Test cricket
How important it is for Saha to contribute as a batsman?
India realise that the series against West Indies would not be as challenging as compared to their grueling home series against more established teams from late 2016 to March 2017. Whatever combinations they have to try should ideally be done in this tour. Saha has been an apt replacement for someone like MS Dhoni, at least behind the stumps, but he needs runs with the bat too. He played a crucial innings with Kohli at Adelaide when India toured Australia in 2011. He has looked good but has thrown his wicket away, especially against spinners. He was dismissed four times by South African spinners in the Test series in 2015. In the first innings of the ongoing Test versus West Indies, he again fell to Kraigg Brathwaite, a part-time off-spinner. ALSO READ: IND vs WI 2016, 1st Test, Day 3: Watch Shami’s 4 wickets
Saha likes the ball coming onto the bat whereas he tries too much against spin. The pitches in India will assist the spinners and he will have to keep a close eye while playing against New Zealand’s Ish Sodhi, Micheal Santner, England’s Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Australia’s Nathon Lyon when they tour India. Vital runs down the order change the complexion of a game for any side in the longer format and Saha needs to lead from the front for India in this aspect. For this reason, the series against West Indies is crucial for him with the willow and a fighting innings by him under pressure would prepare him well. Ajay Ratra, in India’s tour of West Indies in 2001-02, had scored a magnificent hundred and stitched a long partnership with VVS Laxman to earn a draw for the team. A similar innings for Saha is what would please the team management and keep India in steady shape for forthcoming series.
(Aditya Sahayis a journalist with CricketCountry who is completely into sports and loves writing about cricket in general. He can be followed on Twitter at adisahay7)
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