In Stats: How Wriddhiman Saha Emerged Out Of MS Dhoni’s Shadow

[CG]

Former India opener Navjot Singh Sidhu claims “statistics are like miniskirts; they reveal more than they hide”. Another former India opener Aakash Chopra claims “numbers Do Lie” in his new book.

My take: Statistics don’t reveal. Statistics don’t do justice. Statistics need context.

Case in point. Wriddhiman Saha. Fun Fact: He is India’s fourth-highest run-scorer in this home season.

Wriddhiman Saha celebrates his first innings century against Australia in Ranchi. (Photo: Reuters)

It may be hard to believe, but Saha actually made his Test debut way back in February 2010 – on that occasion as a specialist batsman.

When he deservedly got a permanent place in the Indian Test XI as a wicket-keeper, there were arguments that his batting wasn’t quite cut out for Tests, despite a batting average of 44.48 in first-class cricket. The questions on Saha’s abilities emerged in the backdrop of him replacing the long-serving MS Dhoni, who had scored nearly 5000 runs in Test cricket at an average nearly 40.

But in the last nine months, the keeper from Bengal has justified that he is not only an excellent wicket-keeper, but also a batsman who can score runs even at the Test cricket grade.

It might not be that obvious, but in the 13 Test matches that Saha has been part of (starting the tour of West Indies in July 2016), his aggregate of 615 runs is the fourth highest in the Indian team; only Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have scored more runs than Saha in those 13 Tests.

Point to be noted is that Saha has accumulated those runs while generally batting at number seven or eight.

(Photo: Liju Joseph/TheQuint)

 

More interestingly, in this home season, only two Indian batsmen – Kohli (5) and Pujara (4) – have scored more hundreds than Saha.

But in the context of the match situations, two of Saha’s three Test centuries could be labelled priceless.

Saha scored his maiden Test century at St. Lucia on the tour of the Caribbean; on that occasion, India, having been put in to bat, were reeling at 126-5 with the cream of the batting back in the pavilion. But Saha combined with Ashwin, and the pair rescued India to a competitive first-innings total. India went on to win the Test quite convincingly.

(Photo: Liju Joseph/TheQuint)

 

The 32-year-old has only grown in confidence since.

He has since added two more centuries to his kitty and his batting average has more than doubled.

Saha’s second hundred came when the Indian batsmen had the opportunity to make merry on some fabulous batting conditions against Bangladesh; Saha made a busy-looking 106 – one of three centuries in that Indian innings.

(Photo: Liju Joseph/TheQuint)

 

Most recently, Saha’s third hundred came at a very crucial juncture in the match; Australia had scored 451 batting first and India were six wickets down still 123 runs in deficit. Saha combined with Pujara; the pair added 199 runs and not only took India past Australia’s first innings score, but well beyond.

Saha, The Keeper

Saha has played 23 Tests as India’s designated wicket-keeper, and his numbers on the batting front compare favourably to some of India’s previous wicket-keepers.

In terms of runs, only Farokh Engineer (who also opened the innings), MS Dhoni and Nayan Mongia had scored more runs in their first 23 Tests than Saha currently has. In terms of Test hundreds though, Saha stands a clear winner; after 23 Tests, Engineer, Dhoni and Mongia had scored one Test century each, while Saha has three tons to his credit.

(Photo: Liju Joseph/TheQuint)

 

Saha doesn’t get credit for his wicket-keeping too – that’s because he is so good behind the stumps. India have played on some spinner-friendly (and demanding conditions for wicket-keepers) at home this season; yet, you will seldom see a mention of Saha missing an opportunity behind the stumps.

Despite keeping wickets for more overs than the opposition wicket-keepers, Saha has conceded fewer byes than his opposite numbers. This, despite the fact that Saha has had to keep wickets to two of the world’s best spinners and keep wickets on fourth innings surfaces in six of the nine Test matches he has played in in this home season.

While keeping wickets in the fourth innings at home this season, Saha did not concede a bye in three innings and conceded 14 byes in three other innings combined – that’s a total of 14 byes conceded in a total of 447.1 fourth-innings-overs. Aren’t those some incredible numbers?

(Photo: Liju Joseph/TheQuint)

 

Given his timely contributions with the bat and his safe glove-work behind the stumps, it is perhaps time, Saha got his due.

 

https://www.thequint.com/infographics/2017/03/22/wriddhiman-saha-wicketkeeper-india-vs-australia-test-series

Edited March 27, 2017 by CG

[speedheat]

Best wicketkeeper we have since nayan mongia and soon will be Best wicket keeper batsmen ever to play India!!

 

 

[sandeep]

Saha's batting gets under-rated because he doesn't bat like the typical Indian batsman.  He is not a guy who's going to boss the bowling and hit good balls for 4 with attractive looking shots.  A typical Saha big innings is one where he gets to bat alongside someone else who is the dominant player in the partnership, while Saha holds his end up and quietly accumulates runs.   He can and does dominate spin bowling, but not the pacers.  But as the article points out - he's ended this season piling up some priceless runs for Team India.    And he is by far, the best gloveman in test cricket - against spin and pace.  

[Laaloo]

Amazing what a few 'decent' innings can do.

[CG]

Saha's batting gets under-rated because he doesn't bat like the typical Indian batsman.  He is not a guy who's going to boss the bowling and hit good balls for 4 with attractive looking shots.  A typical Saha big innings is one where he gets to bat alongside someone else who is the dominant player in the partnership, while Saha holds his end up and quietly accumulates runs.   He can and does dominate spin bowling, but not the pacers.  But as the article points out - he's ended this season piling up some priceless runs for Team India.    And he is by far, the best gloveman in test cricket - against spin and pace.  

He is more of classical test batsman mould who have good judgement outside off stump and try to take runs when they bowl in his area .Actually he has more shots against Pacers rather than spinners whom he mostly sweeps.

[sensible-indian]

Bats like an absolute tailender for the first 20 balls.

 

Once he passes that period, its like heaven and earth difference.

 

Looks confident, shots come out and can survive in tough conditions too.

 

Should bat at number 6 from now on.

[Sidhoni]

OP conveniently missed one image from the article

 

 

[CG]

OP conveniently missed one image from the article

 

 

 

Lol you can quote whole article it's against rules.Link is given.

[kira]

I always backed Saha, his keeping is more important than his batting but as this thread shows, even his batting is good and an upgrade from the previous Indian keepers, some clueless posters wanted saha to be dropped after a couple of bad innings, I wonder where they are now 

[sandeep]

4 minutes ago, kira said:

I always backed Saha, his keeping is more important than his batting but as this thread shows, even his batting is good and an upgrade from the previous Indian keepers, some clueless posters wanted saha to be dropped after a couple of bad innings, I wonder where they are now 

Some of them are busy worshipping at the altar of Renshaw - A fat white kangaroo version of Akash Chopra.   Barely has any offside game, will get owned by the likes of old man Anderson once he plays on wickets where the ball swings a bit.  

[Lannister]

But we don't have readymade players coming through the ranks. This is what we were told by the great kaptaan sahab. 

More like he was insecure about his own place. 

[Yoda-esque]

Good on him..Hope he continues in the same vein

[Pollack]

Saha should have been much earlier into our test team for his superior keeping skills with decent batting.Instead we stood with a decent(or below average impact wise) test batsman with average keeping skills.

Now we can continue with Saha till he loses his batting form.

[sandeep]

24 minutes ago, Pollack said:

Saha should have been much earlier into our test team for his superior keeping skills with decent batting.Instead we stood with a decent(or below average impact wise) test batsman with average keeping skills.

Now we can continue with Saha till he loses his batting form.

Its a mistake many teams make - Aussies dropped Nevill for Wade for "batting".   England play Bairstow ahead of other keepers.  Be grateful that Saha is a capable enough bat that we can have a quality keeper like him backing up our bowlers.  Now for the slip cordon to stop being amateurs and our bowlers will start delivering overseas and the team can start making history.

[Laaloo]

I dont know about batting but this guy is a damn good wicketkeeper to both spin and pace. He goes for catches no other wk in Indian cricket history did. He's pulled off some stunners in this series alone.

[Muloghonto]

36 minutes ago, laaloo said:

I dont know about batting but this guy is a damn good wicketkeeper to both spin and pace. He goes for catches no other wk in Indian cricket history did. He's pulled off some stunners in this series alone.

Not no other wicketkeeper in Indian cricket history did - Kirmani and Mongia used to go for those kind of catches as well. 

he is a better bat than both though.

 

[Pollack]

47 minutes ago, sandeep said:

Its a mistake many teams make - Aussies dropped Nevill for Wade for "batting".   England play Bairstow ahead of other keepers.  Be grateful that Saha is a capable enough bat that we can have a quality keeper like him backing up our bowlers.  Now for the slip cordon to stop being amateurs and our bowlers will start delivering overseas and the team can start making history.

I am not ungrateful. Infact its the opposite.I am saying Saha should have been in place of Dhoni in tests much before.Dhoni delayed a genuine keeper and a genuine test match player.However I stand by my point that if he lose his batting form and becomes a passenger as far as batting is concerned I wouldn't want him in the team for superior keeping skills alone because I want Indian team to groom a new younger keeper amongst Pant or Kishan or both so that if they have some faults in keeping technique they would be given time and space. Saha has only few years left mostly.

[King Tendulkar]

1 hour ago, sandeep said:

Some of them are busy worshipping at the altar of Renshaw - A fat white kangaroo version of Akash Chopra.   Barely has any offside game, will get owned by the likes of old man Anderson once he plays on wickets where the ball swings a bit.  

Lol 

[Muloghonto]

3 minutes ago, Pollack said:

I am not ungrateful. Infact its the opposite.I am saying Saha should have been in place of Dhoni in tests much before.Dhoni delayed a genuine keeper and a genuine test match player.However I stand by my point that if he lose his batting form and becomes a passenger as far as batting is concerned I wouldn't want him in the team for superior keeping skills alone because I want Indian team to groom a new younger keeper amongst Pant or Kishan or both so that if they have some faults in keeping technique they would be given time and space. Saha has only few years left mostly.

Isn't Saha only 32 ? It means he can have another 5 years- remember, he is a late starter, so his body does not have as much miles on him like someone who is 32 and playing international cricket since they were 21. 

As long as Saha can average around 30 with the bat, he is not a passenger, coz anything above 30 runs average for #7 is a bonus, really.

Pant and Kishan should be groomed, but they need 2-3 years of limited exposure to fully develop their fitness for test cricket. Wicketkeeping is much harder than it looks on the body because its like doing 500 squats a day, holding each squat for 15-20 seconds. Not easy on your back at all and plenty of wicketkeeper's careers are cut short due to back problems. 

[beetle]

Considering our bad catching in the slips....Saha is a God send with his tight keeping and catching.

Must be giving the bowlers some confidence .