Indian cricketer in focus: Wriddhiman Saha - waiting in the wings

Now, Wriddhiman isn’t your typical flamboyant wicket-keeper. He isn’t in the mould of MS Dhoni, Karthik or even Parthiv Patel. He is more of a workman, in a style somewhat reminiscent of a younger Rahul Dravid. The quiet way he goes about building his innings, you’d hardly notice him.

Wriddhiman Saha

Adversity is a true test of a batsman – and Saha has more often than not passed that test with flying colours. He doesn’t play the big shots as frequently as his more glamourous colleagues. By his own admission: “I go for my shots only when I am well-set, and that too depending on the match situation.“

Because he is technically sound, as he showed in that last Test match at Adelaide, and eschews aggressive batting till he is settled, the general perception is that his batting is inferior compared to Dhoni or Karthik. This is why his selection for the SA series was met with skepticism. But the doubters were made to eat their words after his steady knock held the brittle middle-order together in the face of hostile bowling by Dale Steyn and co.

At this moment, Saha is regarded (well, at least in the domestic circuit) as the finest wicket-keeper in the country. Not for him the needless shouts, vociferous appeals or exuberant animation behind the stumps. He reminds one of those old accountants, sitting in a corner and making journal entries without drawing too much attention to himself – unobtrusive, but effective.

He has always conducted himself with humility, as his Bengal teammates will tell you. After scoring 170 against Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy final of 2012, the soft-spoken player interacted with a handful of spectators with a demeanour that prompted a journalist to say that he’d never seen a more humble cricketer in decades.

Wriddhiman Saha

His small-town roots have helped keep his feet firmly on the ground – he is not the kind to be bothered about glamour and wealth despite playing in the cash-rich IPL.

India needs a fighter like Wriddhiman Saha in the days to come. The void formed by the departure of Ganguly, Dravid and Laxman needs to be filled soon, and the wiry, unassuming young man is one of the possible candidates to step into those shoes. Till then, he waits in the wings for his chance.