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Flexible Saha ready to bat anywhere for SRH
Kolkata, March 22 (IANS) India’s Test wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha, who was roped in by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) this Indian Premier League (IPL) season, said he’s ready to bat anywhere and the team has star openers like David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan to give them a solid start.
“I prefer batting at the top but I have kept rotating in terms of my batting position. With SRH, I will probably bat in the lower middle order,” Saha told reporters at the Mohun Bagan club ground where he will play the J.C Mukherjee Trophy.
“We have great openers (Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner) so they will do well. I am ready to bat anywhere for the team.”
Saha was bought by former champions SRH for Rs 5 crore.
“I was playing in Mohali (for Kings XI Punjab) and I know the wicket there. Now I will be playing for Hyderabad, so I will have to adjust to the wicket. As far as gelling with the players is concerned, it won’t be a problem. Everybody is familiar at this level,” Saha added.
Saha picked up a back injury and had to return midway from India’s tour to South Africa after playing only the first Test in Cape Town.
“I am fit now and have started playing a few office matches,” Saha said.
Asked about keeping to Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan, he said: “I will practice with him at the nets. I have played his bowling and got out too.”
On the toughest opponents, he said: “I would like my team to win but Chennai have a good team and have bench strength.”
Talking about the England tour later this year, Saha admitted wicket-keeping would be difficult on swinging conditions expected there.
“England will be tough. We have to play well. It will help if we can go there early. In England first is T20 and one-dayers. We are ready to go one month in advance as well for the Tests.
“I have never played in England for India. I have played with the India A team there. It is challenging to keep wickets there as the ball moves quite a lot. There is dampness also,” he added.
India will play five Tests in England from August 1, preceded by the T20Is and ODIs.
–IANS
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Sunil Gavaskar gives his opinion of GT allrounder Rahul Tewatia
The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.