Kolkata: One is 37 but out of favor, and another is 36 but is very much in the T20 scheme of things for India. If age is the only criterion, either both should be in the frame or none should be considered for selection. But cricket is a game of uncertainty and on many occasions, the selections defy logic. Yes, the ones in question are India-discard Wriddhiman Saha, a veteran of 40 Tests, and comeback man Dinesh Karthik. Both are in the form of their lifetimes.
There are also uncanny similarities in their performances in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. In the IPL batting chart, Karthik is in the 25th position with 324 runs from 15 outings while Saha has amassed 312 in 10 matches. On why Karthik was picked and Saha was shown the door, former India captain and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar has a logic. "I am not sure about the selectors' thought process, but what I think is they must have picked him on his current form and that he is a good finisher," Vengsarkar told ETV Bharat from Mumbai on Thursday.
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"With Virat (Kohli), Rohit (Sharma), and (KL) Rahul, they must be looking for a finisher at No 5 or 6 and that may be the reason for Karthik's inclusion. He may play the way MS Dhoni used to play," Vengsarkar was spot on. Another selector during India's golden period, Raja Venkat, called the decision to draft Karthik in T20 and drop Saha from the longer version a double standard. "Absolutely...Without any doubt it is double standards," Venkat said without mincing his words.
Venkat showered praise on Saha and called him the best wicketkeeper in the country. "Besides being the best wicketkeeper, whenever he was given a chance he performed well. People point fingers at his batting, but his batting average is well above 30. He batted well in the last Test he played for India. It seems there are different sets of rules for different players," Venkat added.
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The former selector also didn't back the theory of Rishabh Pant being preferred over Saha in Tests. "Rishabh has won one or two matches for India, but he is totally inconsistent. In my view, Saha should have been the first-choice keeper and Rishabh could have waited as age is on his side. Give Rishabh time to improve his wicketkeeping and batting skills and be more consistent. Then he can make a comeback," Venkat told ETV Bharat. As far as fitness is concerned, the former selector feels Saha is still one of the fittest picks around even at 37.
