Injury likely to keep Wriddhiman Saha out for a while

Saha, India’s premier gloveman in Test cricket, wasn’t in the XI in the Test match against Afghanistan in June, and has since been left out of the squad for the first three Tests of the upcoming five-match series in England.

Prior to the game against Afghanistan, he featured in the Indian Premier League 2018 for Sunrisers Hyderabad, but missed a set of games between 7 May and 25 May, with reports suggesting that he had picked up a thumb injury.

It has since been reported that the 33-year-old wicket-keeper has a shoulder injury, with The Indian Express saying that Saha has been suffering from the problem for the last few months. Another report in ESPNcricinfo says that Saha will be out of action for ‘at least two months’.

With Saha missing the Test match against Afghanistan, Dinesh Karthik got a chance to play his 24th Test match, his first since January 2010 when he played in Chittagong.

Karthik has been included in the squad for the first three Tests of the series in England as well, with young Rishabh Pant drafted in as back-up wicket-keeper.

Saha has played 32 Test matches. He made his debut as a pure batsman in India’s Test against South Africa in February 2010, and became the first-choice Test wicket-keeper in Australia during the 2014-15 tour following MS Dhoni’s retirement from the format.