"He said the headache is yours" - Aakash Chopra lauds Wriddhiman Saha's fighting knock on Day 4 of the 1st India vs New Zealand Test

Aakash Chopra has highlighted that Wriddhiman Saha put his best foot forward and left it to the selectors and the team management to decide on his future in India's Test team.

Saha did not keep wickets during New Zealand's first innings on Day 3 of the ongoing Kanpur Test due to a stiff neck. However, he came out to bat on Day 4 when Team India were in troubled waters in their second innings and bailed them out with an unbeaten 61-run knock.

While lauding Wriddhiman Saha's knock during a discussion on Star Sports, Aakash Chopra pointed out that the wicketkeeper-batter put the ball in the selectors' court. He elaborated:

"This knock is amazing from two or three angles. There are question marks, people are asking who will play the next match, who will go to South Africa, so he said he will do whatever he can do best and the headache is yours. Even if this is my last Test, I will go away smiling and happy, and that Wriddhiman Saha is brave."

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Wriddhiman Saha's knock was reminiscent of Cheteshwar Pujara's career-saving effort in the second innings of the Headingley Test against England. Chopra said:

"The questions were being asked and he knew he is 37-year-old. It reminded me slightly of Pujara's 91-run knock in Leeds, that your career is hanging by a thin thread."

Wriddhiman Saha has already been relegated to the backup keeper's role by Rishabh Pant's dynamic performances over the last few months. With Srikar Bharat also showing his prowess behind the wickets in New Zealand's first innings, the veteran keeper's place in the Indian squad had also become questionable.

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"There was a lot of pressure on Wriddhiman Saha" - Irfan Pathan

Wriddhiman Saha's partnership with Axar Patel helped India cross the 200-run mark [P/C: BCCI]

Irfan Pathan highlighted that Wriddhiman Saha's knock was crucial on multiple fronts. He explained:

"It shows the mindset of this batter. He had come with perfect preparation. There was a lot of pressure on him, to save his spot, there were a lot of questions going to be asked, Srikar Bharat had already kept amazingly well. So you had to save your team here but also think about your career."

The former India all-rounder pointed out that Wriddhiman Saha came with a well-thought-out plan to counter the Kiwi bowlers. Pathan stated:

"But despite that, the way he batted, and we didn't see him struggling. He came with a different technique, put his front foot further away, he said that he will play the balls on the stumps on the leg side and not on the off-side as he felt he could get out there. He did the planning and executed it very well."

Saha opened up his stance to ease the pressure on his neck. His courageous knock helped India set a daunting 284-run target for New Zealand in the fourth innings.