He defied gravity to pouch stunners in front of slip, flew down the leg-side, whipped the bails off in a flash, and held on to quick edges standing up. With the willow, the aggressive southpaw was a force of nature that swept away the opposition.
The phenomenal Adam Gilchrist will go down as the greatest wicketkeeper-batsman of all time. Only England’s Leslie Ames, outstanding with both bat and gloves, comes close. Yet, Gilchrist’s emergence and his subsequent domination saw teams veering towards ‘all-rounders’, essentially batsmen who could also keep wickets.
This marked the beginning of a dangerous trend when wicketkeeping skills became diluted, and a true wicketkeeper often lost out to someone who could bat well but was a far inferior glovesman. Ironically, Gilchrist himself was a ’keeper at heart and a batsman next. For him, ’keeping was an art form.
Sadly, in the astonishing brilliance of his batting, Gilchrist’s capable glovework was forgotten.
Yet, bucking the trend, India rightly chose the lithe Wriddhiman Saha, essentially for his brilliant ’keeping skills when the influential M.S. Dhoni left Test cricket. Credit to the selectors for that.
Saha could also bat, but when fit, the man from Bengal was the finest wicketkeeper in contemporary cricket.
Sadly, a shoulder surgery has caused Saha to miss not just the complete England tour but also the home series against the West Indies and India’s upcoming campaign in Australia.
Rishabh Pant, an explosive batsman and a ’keeper who is still finding his feet, has stepped into Saha’s shoes.
How does Pant rate as a ‘keeper? Former India wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia, a quality glovesman in his time, said to The Hindu, “Pant needs to improve his footwork. With footwork comes balance. He’s promising and has good hands, but needs to put a lot of work into his ’keeping.”
Easy on the eye while gathering testing deliveries of bounce and subtle turn from the formidable Anil Kumble, Mongia commanded attention with his ‘keeping, particularly when standing up.
Mongia said, “It’s a combination of several factors. Your basics have to be good. You have to rest on the balls of your feet and get up with the ball. You have to get the timing right. Footwork gives you stability and flexibility of movement that is so crucial for a ’keeper.
“It’s about maintaining the centre of gravity even when you move. You have to pick the length, judge the bounce and allow the ball to ease into your gloves.”
Asked how he snaffled up those catches or effected stumpings while standing up to Kumble, Mongia said, “It’s a mix of anticipation, reflexes, instinct and practice. Before the start of play and after stumps, I would get Kumble to bowl around 20 deliveries for me to gather.”
In Test cricket, only fully rounded ’keepers excel. You need to concentrate hard for long periods. An innings can, on occasion, last nearly two days, and all this can make extreme physical and mental demands on a ’keeper. You have to be ready and alert to hold on to a nick at the fag end of a gruelling day.
Under the circumstances, with the likes of Pant and K.S. Bharat — this India-A ’keeper has immense potential — still learning their trade, does India need to employ the services of a wicketkeeping coach?
Bruce French, in this role with England, has been performing a marvellous job. He flies in at different periods before and during a Test series and his interactions and inputs have resulted in Jonny Bairstow — he has lifted his ’keeping by several notches — and Ben Foakes blossoming behind the stumps.
Mongia weighed in. “A coach for ’keeping will surely help. A ’keeper is so important. He is the backbone of any side. He follows every delivery, is closest to the action, organises things around him and gives his feedback to the captain, the bowlers and the team.”
Adapting to different tracks is vital for a wicketkeeper, said Mongia. “The Australians like to gather sideways. But in India where the ball can keep low, they tend to concede byes. In India, a ‘keeper has to gather in the centre of his body. Even if the ball doesn’t get up, the pads will prevent byes.”
Off-spinning ace Harbhajan Singh has probed both batsmen and ‘keepers with his turn, bounce and variations.
He said to The Hindu, “A catch taken or dropped at a critical point in a match can change the course of a game. And an opportunity put down can demoralise the bowler and the team. However, the days of a pure ’keeper are over. Now a wicketkeeper has to be an all-rounder, needs to contribute with the bat.”
But then, where does one draw the line? Around 30 or 40 extra runs scored by a good batsman but an ordinary ’keeper may not offset a dropped catch or a fluffed stumping, which could hurt the side a lot more.
Harbhajan rated Saha, when fit, the best Test wicketkeeper in the world at present. M.S. Dhoni was his choice against spinners and in the shorter versions.
“Dhoni’s hands are unbelievably quick. He creates chances for the side. Some of his stumpings are lightning. He collects the ball earlier than most ’keepers. And his run-outs and back flicks are extraordinary,” said Harbhajan.
India will miss Saha in the Test series in Australia since he covers a lot of ground while standing back; he has taken some stunning diving catches on both sides off the pacemen.
The edges should fly thick and fast in Australia, and a ’keeper has to go for catches in his vicinity.
Former India seamer Venkatesh Prasad said to The Hindu, “Standing back can also pose challenges. In England, the ball can wobble late after passing the batsman. In Australia, where there will be bounce, the edges can travel real fast.
“A ‘keeper not only needs to go for catches wide of him but has also got to judge the pace and bounce of the pitch to determine how far back he stands. Depending on that, the rest of the slip fielders take their positions.”
Simply put, ‘keeping is a specialist job. As Mongia said, “To be a genuine ‘keeper, you have to be a bit of a natural.”
The tour of Australia will shed more light on Pant’s wicketkeeping ability — and on what India may do when Saha returns to full fitness.