Saha stamps his class

Colombo, August 8
Any lingering doubt about Wriddhiman Saha’s claim as India’s automatic Test wicketkeeper evaporated after the diminutive glovesman’s virtuoso performance in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Yet another glovesman who suffered in the long shadow of MS Dhoni, Saha bid his time to stake his claim until the former India captain quit Tests in late 2014.
Saha, 32, possesses neither his predecessor’s flamboyance nor his big-hitting ability with the bat. However, his dexterity behind the stumps, to go with his determination in front of them, has meant that Dhoni, who now plays only limited-overs cricket, has not really been missed.
On a minefield of a track at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Saha’s keeping masterclass prompted skipper Virat Kohli to term him the best in the business. “Four byes on that sort of pitch speaks volumes of the kind of ability he has,” Kohli said after India’s comprehensive victory. “He’s right up there among the very best. He’s the best keeper in this format right now, I’d say.” On a treacherous track where every other delivery misbehaved, Saha was exemplary, especially in the second innings when the pitch was at its worst.
While he was good throughout, the two catches he took in the second innings, of Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews, were exceptional. Mendis had raised 191 runs with Dimuth Karunaratne for the second wicket, rekindling Sri Lanka’s faint hopes of a fightback, when he deflected the ball onto his thigh pad and a diving Saha took a stunning catch. On Sunday, Saha produced another gem of a dismissal, pouching Angelo Mathews’ top-edge to end Sri Lanka’s resistance.
Whether the ball skidded, spun, kept low or reared up, it invariably landed in Saha’s reliable gloves once it went past the bat. He was also lightning fast in stumping Dilruwan Perera. “You saw his keeping today, how agile he is,” Kohli said. “He can create chances at any stage. He’s very safe behind the stumps and he’s been outstanding.”