India A take on West Indies A
North Sound: Wriddhiman Saha will begin his reintegration after a major shoulder injury with his first first-class game in 18 months when India A take on West Indies A in an unofficial Test starting on Wednesday.
Wriddhiman and Hanuma Vihari the two Test specialists who have been included in the A squad to prepare for the two-Test series starting late August. Wriddhiman, who is only three months shy of his 35th birthday, is returning after a career-threatening injury that many believe has been completely mismanaged at the National Cricket Academy.
It will not be out of place to label his comeback ‘Wriddhiman 3.0’ with the keeper-batsman beginning everything from the scratch, something that is not easy in the mid 30s.
Having stayed under Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s shadow for the better part, Wriddhiman was finding his mojo in a injury-ridden career but the injury during the last IPL was a massive blow. With Rishabh Pant proving his credentials with centuries in England and Australia, it’s again that phase in his career where he could be seen wearing the orange or green bib and rushing with the towel and energy drink during breaks.
The teamman that he is, Wriddhiman will do it without batting an eyelid but the question that crops up is what exactly will be left for him post West Indies tour, when India play twin series against South Africa and Bangladesh at home.
People in the know of things are still at their wits end as to how the same kind of injury (a form of shoulder dislocation) that had K L Rahul back in action in two months, saw the Bengal stumper out for more than a year till the Mushtaq Ali Trophy. (PTI)