Wriddhiman Saha vs Parthiv Patel is not really a selection debate and there is a simple solution

It was a pleasant headache India probably never saw coming at the time. When MS Dhoni abruptly walked out of Test cricket in Australia in 2014, the concern was finding a like-for-like replacement, both as a batsman and a wicketkeeper. Dhoni had raised the bar so high with his mere presence at the crease as a batsman that comparisons with his successors would be inevitable. Fortunately, India have never been made to feel that vacuum in the Test matches since, with his understudy Wriddhiman Saha quietly stepping into his shoes, carving his own identity and not branding himself a Dhoni 2.0.

It was clear that Saha was India’s first-choice ’keeper. But in the meantime, Parthiv Patel was building a case for himself. His form with the bat and improved glovework gave him the edge over competitors Naman Ojha and Dinesh Karthik. When Saha was injured early in the England Tests in November, the selectors didn’t mind opting for the more experienced Parthiv – who hadn’t played a Test since 2008 – over a younger alternative. Parthiv didn’t just merely warm the seat for Saha in the remaining Tests, he set it on fire. With Saha returning from injury and scoring an unbeaten 203 for Rest of India in the Irani Trophy final, ironically, against Parthiv’s Gujarat, the selectors are in a possible conundrum as to who will make the XI in the forthcoming Test against Bangladesh. Then there’s the four Australia Tests to follow.

Parthiv’s sprightly return to Tests included scores of 42, 67 and 71, along with 11 catches and two stumpings. He scored 90 and 143 in the Ranji Trophy final to lead Gujarat to their first ever title, beating giants Mumbai. In the Irani Cup, he had to watch Saha blaze a double-century in the fourth innings after Rest of India were struggling at 63/4 in pursuit of 379. Saha’s knock came off just 272 balls, including 26 fours and six sixes. Being a slow and steady accumulator that he is known to be, this innings offered something different. He has a hundred in an IPL final, but he knows just as well that this is essentially a shootout between who’s the better wicketkeeper.

Who’s the better ‘keeper?

That, too, isn’t as straightforward as it looks. Saha has long been regarded as India’s most technically sound wicketkeeper. Parthiv was dropped during his initial years as a Test player because his ’keeping form fell away, and since then has been more a stopgap arrangement depending on Dhoni’s availability. But Parthiv has worked hard at his keeping and narrowed the gap with Saha. His improvement was noted by the chairman of selectors MSK Prasad (a former keeper himself), who said there was just a “minor difference” between the two.

“Parthiv’s glovework has definitely improved. But Saha has got better hands and that’s where he scores little more points than Parthiv,” Prasad said. “With today’s batting, Saha showed why he is the number one keeper-batsman in the country.”

Indian keepers will be judged primarily on their skills against the spinners and Saha has impressed there. He said he is open to experimenting behind the stumps, sometimes not crouching all the way down before the bowler delivers, shifting his position left or right depending on the bowler. “I keep making minor changes. Whatever I am comfortable with, I stick to it. I don’t stick to authentic or set pieces,” Saha said after the Irani Cup game.

Impact with the bat

Where Saha has made the most significant impact, though, is with the bat. In the recent past, he has been the lower-order fulcrum, leading India’s plucky resistance when the top order had failed. In St Lucia against West Indies, India had their backs to the wall at 126/5, before Saha scored his first Test century, partnering R Ashwin (118) to push the score to 353. Against New Zealand, Saha made an unbeaten 54 at his home ground Eden Gardens after India were at a disappointing 200/6. New Zealand couldn’t figure out how to dismiss him – in the second innings he made an unbeaten 58 after India had wobbled to 106/6. He has proven himself to be a crisis man and, importantly, somebody who can be trusted with the tail.

As far as the remaining Tests are concerned, the polls seem to be swaying towards Saha to reclaim his place, given the hints Prasad has dropped and the encouragement he has received from coach Anil Kumble in the past. Without taking any credit away from Parthiv, though, Saha would be the logical first choice given that he has done nothing wrong to be dropped. Parthiv could still stay in the squad purely as an opening batsman, given Shikhar Dhawan’s indifferent form since returning from injury.

The Irani game was billed as the battle of the keepers, but Saha couldn’t see what the fuss was all about. Being the simple, no-frills man that he is, he said: “Even if you ask him [Parthiv], he will say there’s no competition. Everyone tries his best and whosoever gets the opportunity plays for the team.”

It’s the nature of the beast, given the competition for places. After winning the Man of the Series award against New Zealand, Amit Mishra wasn’t picked for any of the three ODIs against England. In the upcoming Test against Bangladesh, one unlucky guy would have to miss out.