Top contenders who can replace MS Dhoni in Indian Test side

Handing over the batonFor very long, the Indian cricket selectors and captains had struggled to find a wicket-keeper who was also a reliable contributor with the bat, thus giving more balance to the side. Many keepers were tried out, but none managed to impress much. That was until Mahendra Singh Dhoni came along.With tidy and reliable keeping skills in addition to his batting ability, Dhoni proved to be the answer for India’s search for a wicket-keeper batsman and cemented his spot for almost a decade, much to the delight of the selectors and not so much delight of other wicket-keepers in the country.However, with Dhoni’s decision to quit Test cricket recently, there is an opening for a wicket-keeper batsman in the Test side. We look at some options which the Indian selectors will consider as they look to find a replacement for the now-former Indian Test captain.

#6 CM Gautam

The wicket-keeper of the 2013-14 Ranji Trophy champions Karnataka, Gautam is one of the top wicket-keeper batsmen in Indian domestic circuit. A very capable batsman, who played for Karnataka as a specialist batsman for almost 5 seasons, Gautam has a batting average over 47 with the highest of 264* in first class cricket. Gautam is a very safe and reliable keeper and averages more than 2 dismissals every innings in first class cricket.

While Gautam hasn’t yet been in the reckoning for a Team India spot, Dhoni’s early retirement means that his name will probably be discussed the next time Indian selectors sit to select a Test squad.

#5 Parthiv Patel

We all remember the baby-faced 17-year-old making his debut for India in the Test series in England where he made a gutsy knock to save the match for his team.

That was more than ages ago and yet the keeper from Gujarat is not even 30 years old! Inconsistency with the bat as well as the gloves, along with the emergence of MS Dhoni has meant that Parthiv’s career didn’t take off the way many expected after his Test debut.

However the player has worked on his batting and wicket-keeping and has been a consistent performer in Ranji Trophy for a while. If he continues to shine in domestic cricket, there is a decent chance that he will be able to better the 20 Test caps that he currently has.

#4 Dinesh Karthik

Karthik is another wicket-keeper who saw his chances with the Indian team reduced due to the emergence of Dhoni. But to his credit, Karthik developed his batting and fielding skills to such an extent, that he occasionally managed to break into the national side as a specialist batsman, apart from being a backup keeper to Dhoni.

Though Karthik has lost out on getting a contract from BCCI for the 2014-15 season, a good show in the Ranji Trophy and his experience at the international level may help him win a recall to the Test side after the retirement of Dhoni.

#3 Sanju Samson

Samson is one for the future for sure and has shown a lot of maturity in his game for his age. But the question that the Indian selectors face is when they should give the youngster, who is only 20 years old, his international bow. The quick fizzling out of Parthiv Patel after an early debut will be on their mind.

Nevertheless, Samson does feature in the Indian selectors’ scheme of things, which is evident by the contract given to him for the 2014-15 season. Given the rapid rise of Samson, it is widely expected that if the player continues to develop in the same way, he will make his India debut sooner than later, more so after Dhoni’s retirement from Tests.

Samson has already made it to the Indian ODI squad (though he is yet to make his debut). His performances for Kerala in Ranji Trophy will encourage selectors to include Samson in the mix for the Test team too.

#2 Naman Ojha

One of the most consistent wicket-keeper batsmen in domestic cricket, Ojha has been in the mix for the Indian Test team as a reserve keeper. Apart from who has been scoring heavily recently in Ranji Trophy, Ojha showed that he can bat well on foreign pitches too when he scored a double century and two centuries in the India A tour of Australia last year.

The 31-year-old Ojha has playing in domestic cricket for over 14 years, and his experience and batting skills apart from him being a specialist wicket-keeper will certainly mean that he will be among the top contenders to take the spot vacated by Dhoni in the Test side.

#1 Wriddhiman Saha

A blistering century in the IPL 2014 final made everyone take note of Wriddhiman Saha. The player who had been Dhoni’s understudy for a while, Saha has been the immediate beneficiary after Dhoni’s retirement as he has taken the former India captain’s spot in the XI for the on-going Sydney Test, and many expect that he will take over the mantle of India’s first-choice wicket-keeper in Tests.

A national team spot is a reward for Saha after his consistent show in Ranji Trophy for Bengal with the bat and also behind the stumps. After scoring a century on debut in the Ranji Trophy, Saha has impressed everyone with his solid batting and athleticism while keeping.

After being a reserve in the Indian Test side for long, during which Saha has got a chance to play only because of injuries to the regulars (which includes an unexpected debut as a specialist batsman because of a last minute injury to Rohit Sharma), the player will look to grab the opportunity given to him with both hands and cement his place in the Test XI for many years to come.