Is Saha good enough as a keeper to be in XI despite very poor batting?

[Ultimate_Game]

Saha is in the last chance saloon. If he fails with the bat tomorrow it's time to move on. No point continuing with the dead wood.

[maniac]

Just now, Ultimate_Game said:

Saha is in the last chance saloon. If he fails with the bat tomorrow it's time to move on. No point continuing with the dead wood.

the way we drop catches for fun behind the wickets in the slip cordon,can't risk replacing our only safe option behind the stumps....As much as I want to see Pant fulfill his promise,I don't think an important series especially the kind of wickets we have in this series is time to blood him in

[Ultimate_Game]

1 minute ago, maniac said:

the way we drop catches for fun behind the wickets in the slip cordon,can't risk replacing our only safe option behind the stumps....As much as I want to see Pant fulfill his promise,I don't think an important series especially the kind of wickets we have in this series is time to blood him in

If we lose the Test, the series is gone and I would blood a younger option so at least he makes a debut at home. Not changing a wkt keeper who doesn't contribute with the bat is a very conservative option which worked in 80s or maybe even in 90s. Cricket has moved on and wkt keeper is expected to score runs. If Saha can't let's find someone else who can. i would rather push the envelope than be satisfied with mediocrity.

[maniac]

Just now, Ultimate_Game said:

If we lose the Test, the series is gone and I would blood a younger option so at least he makes a debut at home. Not changing a wkt keeper who doesn't contribute with the bat is a very conservative option which worked in 80s or maybe even in 90s. Cricket has moved on and wkt keeper is expected to score runs. If Saha can't let's find someone else who can. i would rather push the envelope than be satisfied with mediocrity.

Some basics of cricket remain the same......If India was in Aussie position in the first test in Aus-we could have had a bigger chance of losing the game because Aussies grab every half chance that come their way and we drop even straight forward ones.

 

If Pant is even 80% of the keeper Saha is and given he looks like a world beater with the bat-sure all up for it.

 

but look at the pitches in this series.....can't risk it yet.

[Ultimate_Game]

Just now, maniac said:

Some basics of cricket remain the same......If India was in Aussie position in the first test in Aus-we could have had a bigger chance of losing the game because Aussies grab every half chance that come their way and we drop even straight forward ones.

 

If Pant is even 80% of the keeper Saha is and given he looks like a world beater with the bat-sure all up for it.

 

but look at the pitches in this series.....can't risk it yet.

You will never find out unless you give Pant or anyone else a chance. We have to be aggressive in our team selections as well and think about the next wave of away tours. It would be unfair for a youngster to debut away from home in SA, Aus or Eng. I would rather he gets a couple of games at home before he tours. It's the same mistake we did when we continued with over the hill oldies who continued to play at home and then failed away but we had no options. I would prefer to have a plan in place other than putting all eggs in Saha bucket.

[Gollum]

The only problem with Saha is that he has a weak and timid aura around him and hence is a soft target. How easily people forget his knocks in the past year and a half that bailed us out of tricky situations? Just because he has failed this series until now doesn't mean he is no good? Even Ashwin hasn't fired with the bat yet this series but that doesn't make him a bad batsman.

 

As a complete package Saha is better than Dhoni. He is at least 90% as good a test batsman as MSD ever was and a far better keeper (Plus MSD's captaicy alone fetches him negative points ). A good keeper is essential for the bowler to bowl to his potential. Recall the England series where Patel's blunders irritated the hell out of our bowlers and made them lose their rhythm. With a poor catching unit like ours we can't afford to have a poor keeper. Else we may need to pick up 30 wickets every test to win and no amount of runs can compensate that. 

[SLICKR392]

19 minutes ago, Gollum said:

The only problem with Saha is that he has a weak and timid aura around him and hence is a soft target. How easily people forget his knocks in the past year and a half that bailed us out of tricky situations? Just because he has failed this series until now doesn't mean he is no good? Even Ashwin hasn't fired with the bat yet this series but that doesn't make him a bad batsman.

 

As a complete package Saha is better than Dhoni. He is at least 90% as good a test batsman as MSD ever was and a far better keeper (Plus MSD's captaicy alone fetches him negative points ). A good keeper is essential for the bowler to bowl to his potential. Recall the England series where Patel's blunders irritated the hell out of our bowlers and made them lose their rhythm. With a poor catching unit like ours we can't afford to have a poor keeper. Else we may need to pick up 30 wickets every test to win and no amount of runs can compensate that. 

Should consider stand comedy as a career, Gollum.

[Gollum]

12 minutes ago, SLICKR392 said:

Should consider stand comedy as a career, Gollum.

Truth is bitter bro. 

 

[Sidhoni]

In India Dhoni averaged almost 46 while Saha averages 19 (against non minnows)

[Sidhoni]

4 minutes ago, Prince_ said:

Dhoni is an atg bro. Saha is a nobody. I don't think we should compare him with Dhoni. 

Just mentioned that for people who think he is 90% as good as Dhoni

[BeautifulGame]

It's a do and die situation for shaha now. We badly need him tomorrow. If he fails to deliver with the the bat tomorrow he should be kicked out and Partiv should keep for the rest of the series. 

 

Aren't we dropping enough catches already ? Need Parthiv to contribute as well ?

 

If Parthiv is the next best option better to stick with Saha and hope his batting improves.

 

Parthiv is a horrible keeper and should be nowhere near Indian team.

[BeautifulGame]

Just mentioned that for people who think he is 90% as good as Dhoni

 

He mistakenly added a zero

[Laaloo]

3 minutes ago, Prince_ said:

Yes, Partiv has his deficiencies with the gloves. But that can be fixed. 

 

 

Saha has got his chances but so far he's failed to deliver against good teams. Now it's time to give chance to someone who's performed pretty well with the bat in the limited number of matches he played as a wicket keeper batsman. 

He hasn't fixed his deficiencies since debut. What makes you sure they can be fixed now? His odd 60s here and there does not compensate for missed stumpings and dropped catches.

[jusarrived]

DK really messed up his career . Ideally should have been the stopgap option .

I see no harm in giving a younger wk-bat a chance now . We are wasting out time with saha , he whole team is young and why do we have a keeper whos on his last legs ? just doesnt make any sense .

[express bowling]

Saha is averaging almost 40 with the bat in the last 1 year.

 

Much better than Murli Vijay, Ashwin or Shikhar Dhawan.

 

Has scored 2 centuries too.

 

Given his excellent keeping.... this batting average is tolerable, and I would not call his batting poor in the recent past.

Edited March 6, 2017 by express bowling

[Sidhoni]

7 minutes ago, express bowling said:

Saha is averaging almost 40 with the bat in the last 1 year.

 

Much better than Murli Vijay, Ashwin or Shikhar Dhawan.

 

Has scored 2 centuries too.

 

Given his excellent keeping.... this batting average is tolerable, and I would not call his batting poor in the recent past.

If he is better than Ashwin why does he come in after him?

[express bowling]

1 minute ago, Sidhoni said:

If he is better than Ashwin why does he come in after him?

I did not say he is better than Ashwin.  

 

I said that his batting average in the last  1 year is better than Ashwin  ( who has batted well too  and averages 36.7 in the last 1 year )

[maniac]

Just now, Sidhoni said:

If he is better than Ashwin why does he come in after him?

Did you look at Saha vs MSD overseas stats?-Saha is slightly ahead but then doesn't mean much-Agreed

 

MSD batting in SC conditions is a bonus- agreed again. but in SC our top order is good enough to out bat teams 8/10 times and Ashwin,Jadeja and Saha are decent enough to contribute

 

Also MSD batted with 6 top prder bats...Saha has been playing with 5 bats....

so different pressure altogether.

 

Keeping Saha is better...To spin MSD is slightly ahead agreed again but to pace Saha is miles ahead. 

 

This is not a MSD vs Saha thread and I don't want this to go in that direction which I think you are steering it in.

 

But the point is Saha is terrific with the glove work and for small pleasure of life if we carried other keepers in the past,worth persisting with Saha.

[Sidhoni]

2 minutes ago, express bowling said:

I did not say he is better than Ashwin.  

 

I said that his batting average in the last  1 year is better than Ashwin  ( who has batted well too  and averages 36.7 in the last 1 year )

Take out Bangladesh and his average falls down to 31 which is only better than Jadeja's 27.5

[maniac]

Some people are getting insecure about MSD even though the guy is retired-Done....move on.

 

Any alternatives for Saha

 

has Saha been bad in his primary job of keeping wickets?

 

any useful contribution in that aspect?-No Pappu,Karthik suggestions please