Saha vs Pant: The age-old battle between grit and flair

There has been a hotly raging debate in the circles of Indian cricket right now. It has taken a while to simmer but has suddenly turned into a blazing inferno. Who should be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman as far as the longest format of the game is concerned? There are two outstanding candidates for the job. Wriddhiman Saha – the wily old fox who has been through the trials and tribulations of the game. Rishabh Pant –  the energetic new maverick possessing a dash of brilliance in his armour. The question has now boiled down to which direction the team management eventually goes in. It is an age-old battle of grit vs flair.

The world comes crashing down for Saha

For Saha, it wasn’t always hunky-dory and he had to earn every opportunity afforded to him. Years of toil on the domestic circuit playing for West Bengal finally gave him a moment in the sunshine. It was only when Mahendra Singh Dhoni announced a sudden departure from red-ball cricket that Saha became a fixture in the Indian team.

When given his chance, he grabbed it with both the hands, just like he has done all his life. Impressing one and all with his agility behind the stumps, he also displayed immense character with the bat in hand. Though not the flashiest of batters, he is certainly a dependable one on whom the team management can always rely to give a 100%.

After three-years of being India’s first-choice keeper, it all came crashing down for Saha after a shoulder injury. The wounded shoulder kept him out of action for almost a year and put his career in jeopardy.

A young talent emerges

Coincidentally, just as Saha was going through a downwards trajectory with his body breaking down, a young and fearless Rishabh Pant started making waves in Indian cricket. His swagger and stroke-making abilities charmed one and all. There was a belief that India had found the spiritual heir to the young MS Dhoni. The next superstar who could take your breath away. The Indian team initially resisted the hype. Dinesh Karthik was given the nod at the start of the series in England. But poor performances from the veteran meant that India had no option but to throw the young Delhite to the wolves. In a trial by fire, Pant emerged with great merit, with his century at the Oval stunning one and all. In the historic tour of Australia, a Sydney-special followed with a knock of 159*. The next demi-God of Indian cricket had arrived. Or had he?

The folly of youth

Perhaps too many expectations were placed on the shoulders of the young Delhi wicketkeeper-batsman. Perhaps, Pant brought into the hype of his own daredevilry. But his recent performances have left many people and most importantly the team management scratching their heads. Trying to crack aggressive shots off each and every delivery instead of playing the ball on its merit has brought about a sudden collapse in form.

The downfall began at the World Cup. After a big debate in the media after his initial exclusion, Pant was finally included as a late injury replacement. But his performance, especially in the semi-final against New Zealand where he had a ‘brain-fade’ moment brought in some severe criticism. The following tour to the Caribbean was also miserable. In 2 Test matches and 3 innings, Pant could only aggregate 58 runs at an average of 19.33. The recently concluded T20I series against South Africa further compounded the pressure on Pant.

The numbers

Though numbers can often be a misleading parameter, stats do dictate the thinking process of team management. Wriddhiman Saha has played 32 Test matches in a career which almost spans a decade. The 34-year old has scored 1167 runs at a steady average of 30.63 with 3 centuries and 5 half-centuries. It is behind the stumps though where Saha comes into his own, regarded as one of the best in the business. He has 85 dismissals to his name, with 75 of those being catches and 10 being stumpings. Excellent keeping against both pace and spin, there aren’t many safer pairs of hands behind the stumps than Saha.

Pant certainly has a better record with the bat compared to Saha in a short career. In 11 Test matches, he has scored 754 runs at an average of 44.35 with 2 centuries and 2 half-centuries. He also has a high amount of dismissals to his name, with 51 catches and 2 stumpings. Tours of England and Australia have certainly helped him prop up the numbers though, with the amount edges which the bowlers induce in seamer-friendly conditions.

So which direction will India go in?

Ahead of the three-match Test series against the Proteas, India have a major dilemma to solve. Many reports have indicated that the team management will go with the experience of Saha for the opening Test match in Vizag. Apparently, the belief is that Saha is a better keeper against spin, which will be expected to dominate in the home conditions. But this will directly contradict with Ravi Shastri’s recent comments where he has lavished praise on Pant. Shastri hinted that Pant was the future of Indian cricket and the management would afford him every single opportunity to succeed at the international level.

The Indian team will have to decide upon the direction their heading in. Will they persist will long-term planning and carry on with their efforts to blood the youngsters in? Or will it be a more pragmatic approach of results taking the top-most priority? Perhaps, it could well boil down to the player who showcases better form in the nets as far as selection is concerned on the day.

So what will it be? A dash of flair? Or the value of grit?