Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra weighed in on the ongoing debate over who should be India’s wicketkeeper-batsman at the Adelaide Boxing Day test – if the visitors continue Wriddhiman Saha, who couldn’t get races in Adelaide, or should they bring in the young and dynamic Rishabh Pant who struggled in 2020 but had a good tour in Australia last time.
Chopra said India might think about bringing Pant in, but wouldn’t mind even if the visitors go ahead with Saha. The former Test cricketer said an erroneous impression has been created that Pant cannot hold the grounds or that Saha cannot hit.
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“This is a change that can probably happen. I’m not defending that, I’m just starting a conversation. Since Virat Kohli is leaving, you will be playing Shubman Gill or KL Rahul instead of him. So your hitting has already weakened, ”Chopra said in response to a question from a fan in a video posted on his Facebook page.
“Your openers are no longer shooting. So when you see this combination, you can go to Pant. But even if you play Saha, I won’t criticize you even once.
“If you want to play the best goalkeeper at No. 7, that’s Saha. It’s not the case that Saha can’t hit, and it’s not that Pant can’t hold the wickets, ”Chopra said.
“Until now, the atmosphere has been created that Pant is a bad goalkeeper. How is that the case, as he makes very good catches, and last time on the Australian tour, he had gotten the maximum catches? and Saha can’t hit; How can it not have a century of testing?
“If you have in mind that you have to play with a southpaw, there is no other southpaw in the lineup and there is no game changer. I agree, but I’m not going to criticize if you play Saha ”, he concluded.
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