Wriddhiman Saha credits Virender Sehwag for his double century in Irani final
What’s the story?
Wriddhiman Saha is currently the talk of the town after his brilliant double century in the finals of the Irani Trophy which helped Rest of India script an unprecedented win over defending Ranji champions Gujarat.
This knock has all but confirmed his place in the Indian test team for the upcoming series against Australia, and the Bengal man has attributed his success to former Indian opening batsman Virender Sehwag.
"Most of the shots that I played in the innings were lofted. Actually, it was Sehwag who once told me that if I can hit a couple of boundaries early in my innings (with lofted strokes), it automatically eases the pressure and also can get the bowlers rattled," Saha was quoted by a website.
In case you didn’t know...
Wriddhiman Saha combined to produce a match-winning partnership with his captain Cheteshwar Pujara which helped Rest of India bounce back from a precarious position of 63/4, and breach the eventual target of 379 with 6 wickets still intact.
Saha remained unbeaten on 203, and Pujara scored a defiant 116, and their partnership of 316 deflated the Gujarat bowlers under the blazing sun in Mumbai.
The heart of the matter
This match was always going to be a match-up between Parthiv Patel and Wriddhiman Saha, as both were competing for a spot in the Test team for the Australia series. While Parthiv impressed one and all during his return into the Indian team, this match-winning effort by Saha could seal the deal for the time being.
The diminutive Bengal player was effusive in his praise for Sehwag, and revealed that the former Indian legend had advised him not to curb his natural game and to take the attack to the bowlers.
Saha, who has played alongside Sehwag for Kings XI Punjab displayed positive intent right from the word go and did not hesitate in putting the balls which were pitched in his half.
Also, the lanky player revealed that he had received a text message from the Indian coach which reminded him that the job was not yet over and that he should look to finish off the game.
What's next?
MSK Prasad, the chairman of selectors has already made it clear that Saha would retain his place once he returns to the squad and thus this innings would give him a lot of confidence going forward and make him believe in his ability a lot more.
Sportskeeda’s Take
The competition between Parthiv and Saha is a healthy one and it is a huge positive sign for Indian cricket, as there are plenty of players competing for one spot.
Saha could not have played this knock at any better time, and if he keeps this positive approach for the series against Australia, it would give India a boost lower down the order.