In cricket there’s a cliche which goes like, “catches win matches” but this cliche never gets too old as catches hold the same relevance in every match and across formats. A bowler is as good as his fielding unit and the fielding unit is always led by the wicketkeeper.
As India has decimated the handsome South African batting line up, everyone is in the awe of Indian pacers who have produced lethal spells with the bowl. Both Shami and Bumrah scalped three wickets each in the second innings while Bhuvneshwar had picked 4 in the first innings.
The entire cricket fraternity is heaping praises for these pacers but we are failing to recognize the contribution of an unsung hero here. Wriddhiman Saha has picked up 9 catches in the first test and a few of them were just exceptional. This is a record for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper for India in a test match.
9 dismissals by Wriddhiman Saha in this Test – the most by any India wicket-keeper in a Test in South Africa.
Prev: 8 by Nayan Mongia, Durban, 1996-97. https://t.co/S0qxbE6mbz#SAvInd
— ESPNcricinfo stats (@ESPNcric_stats) January 8, 2018
Saha remains the unsung hero of this havoc inflicted on South Africa. We must not miss out on his contribution and extend the much-deserved appreciation.
Image Source: Times Of India
The Indian pacers have been lethal with the ball and Saha has extended to them a great support from behind the stumps. A bowler often looks up to his wicketkeeper to hold on to those crucial catches whenever he would go past the edge. Saha has lived up completely to the faith of the Indian pacers.
With needing just 208 runs to win, India is now the clear favorite to win this encounter. If the very first match of the tour comes India’s way then it would be a great boost to the team’s morale. It would help Kohli and his men a great deal in terms of confidence of doing well in South Africa.
Indian pacers made a superb comeback and India has bounced right into the match having dismissed the Proteas for just 130 in the second innings. Now it’s the time for the batsmen to put up a decent show. If batsmen play to their potentials then India will win for sure since it looks a swift target.
