Sledging not compulsory, Dhoni never did that: Wriddhiman

Image
Press Trust of India Colombo
Last Updated : Aug 07 2017 | 6:42 PM IST
Wriddhiman Saha wears his reticence like a badge of honour and, quite like his predecessor Mahendra Singh Dhoni, doesn't believe in sledging opposition batsmen as most wicketkeepers are wont to.
"I haven't seen MS Dhoni sledge ever. So it is not compulsory that you have to sledge. Sometimes (in order to unsettle opposition), we can twist things and say like the pitch is poor, or you have played a poor shot. That much is fine," said Saha, when asked about his take on sledging.
Like many of his contemporaries, his idol is Australian Adam Gilchrist.
"I liked Adam Gilchrist from childhood -- both his batting and keeping style. I think of him as an ideal 'keeper. There are other wicketkeepers like Mark Boucher and Ian Healy. They were also good. But Adam Gilchrist is my favourite," said Saha.
He loves being under the radar and is happy when his performance makes an impact in result.
"My childhood coach Jayanta Bhowmick used to tell me that if I do well then automatically your name will be prominent in selection circles. He told me not to play for myself but for the team whenever you get even small opportunity keep contributing to the team's cause. I have tried to do that only. Even now I am only trying to do well for the team and if my contribution is there I will be very satisfied," he added.
He was blissfully unaware that third Test against Sri Lanka will be his 100th first-class game.
"I am just being told that this is my 100th first-class match. I didn't know. It is a milestone but I will try playing as long as possible," he said.
Coming from North Bengal's Siliguri, once the cradle of state's table tennis, Saha was an outsider when he shifted base to Kolkata. He used to play for Shambazar Club and then for Kalighat in the first division league, stay in a shack in Central Kolkata's Koley Market with other club cricketers.
"Coming from Siliguri, it was tough. When you come from outside the city it is tough because you have to work out accommodation, find out a good club and then think about gettinhg opportunities. After all these, comes the performance," the 32-year-old recollected his journey.
"My aim was to keep performing consistently in my keeping and batting. I was doing that so I got selected for Bengal and then got a national call-up."
On the match, he was asked about clean sweep, Saha said: "We haven't thought about 3-0. We believe in match by match process. We are leading 2-0 and in the next match, the aim is to produce a similar performance," he signed off.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Aug 07 2017 | 6:42 PM IST

Next Story