India vs Australia: Sunil Gavaskar picks first-choice wicket-keeper between Rishabh Pant and Wriddhima Saha ahead of the Adelaide Test

India vs Australia: Sunil Gavaskar picks first-choice wicket-keeper between Rishabh Pant and Wriddhima Saha ahead of the Adelaide Test

Rishabh Pant, Sunil Gavaskar, Wriddhiman Saha (L-R)

Rishabh Pant, Sunil Gavaskar, Wriddhiman Saha (L-R)

The Indian team management has several selection vows in front of them ahead of the much-anticipated Test series against Australia. Who will keep the wickets for the side: Rishabh Pant and Wriddhman Saha is one of the questions before the first match at the Adelaide Oval. 

Former Indian opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar picked the first-choice wicket-keeper for Virat Kohli and co in Adelaide. The cricketer turned commentator said that it would be hard to omit Rishabh Pant from the side as he recently scored a hundred during the three-day practice game. 

“It is going to be a tough one for the tour selection committee because Rishabh played in all the 4 Test matches four years ago. He also got a hundred and seemed he got under the skin of the Australian players with his chirping behind the stumps…when you just came off a hundred a few days earlier, he would be the choice of the management I think,” Gavaskar said while previewing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Sony Networks.

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“When you are playing on pitches where the wicket-keeper has to stand up to the stumps, where the ball turns out a little bit that’s when you tend to take your best wicket-keeper, in which case Wriddhiman Saha would be the obvious choice,” he explained.

“But here, India will have pacers where you can stand behind and have little more time, my feeling is that they will go for Rishabh,” Gavaskar said while previewing the series named after him and Allan Border to be telecast live by Sony Networks.

Gavaskar picked Shubman Gill over Prithvi Shaw

Shubman Gill and Prithvi Shaw

Sunil Gavaskar went for Shubman Gill ahead of Prithvi Shaw as the second opener along with Mayank Agarwal. The 71-year old stated that Gill has looked in great touch during the two practise matches in Australia.

“India is a little bit shaky at the top of the order. They don’t know who they are going to go with. Mayank Agarwal is, of course, a certainty. But who’s the other opener — Shubman Gill or Prithvi Shaw? I think Shubman Gill should open with Mayank for the first Test match because he’s shown good form,” said Gavaskar.

“So with uncertainty at the top, they would like to strengthen their batting, and so Rishabh Pant will play. I am hoping Rishabh plays at six because that will allow picking five bowlers to try getting 20 Australian wickets,” he added.

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