Sanjay Manjrekar backs Wriddhiman Saha to be India's first choice keeper for 1st Test

Sanjay Manjrekar has backed Wriddhiman Saha to be Team India's first-choice wicket-keeper in the first Test that will be played at the Adelaide Oval on December 17. Youngster Rishabh Pant has also been named in the Indian Test squad and as of now, it remains to be seen who will be donning the gloves in the opening contest. Manjrekar has backed Saha owing to his brilliant athleticism behind the stumps as he has made difficult catches look easy with some brilliant piece of glovework.

'Keeping skills first': Sanjay Manjrekar

It so happened that one of the passionate cricket fans had asked the former Indian cricketer who according to him should be India's first-choice stumper for the Adelaide Test match to which he replied by saying that one must always look at keeping skills when it comes to the longest format and at the same time, there needs to be a better keeper against pace in Australian conditions and in both scenarios, it is Saha who comes out on top. 

Furthermore, the cricketer-turned-commentator/analyst added that if a player of Steve Smith's calibre is dropped early on, then he can go on to score a double century.

Both Pant and Saha are currently playing the warm-up game against Australia A at the Sydney Cricket Ground. On Day 1, Saha showed that he does not need a pair of gloves to prove his credentials on the cricket field as he had taken an unbelievable running catch at mid-wicket to dismiss Nic Maddinson. Pant on the other hand went on to score a superb 103 as India have now taken a mammoth 472-run lead. The visitors' scorecard read 386/4 at the end of play on Day 2.

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Fight for Bragging Rights

India have their task cut out once regular skipper Kohli leaves the Australian tour midway as they will have to play out of their skins in order to retain the iconic Border-Gavaskar Trophy that they had won a couple of years back on Australian soil by beating a depleted Australian side. Their star players Steve Smith and David Warner were handed a 12-month suspension from international cricket for their involvement in the infamous ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in March 2018. 

The odds are even this time as the Aussies will be fielding a full-strength squad that consists of Warner, Smith, Marnus Labuchagne, etc. The Tim-Paine led Australians are currently the top-ranked Test side and are also at the summit of the ICC World Test Championship.

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