It was safer to hit the ball in the air, says Irani centurion Saha

MUMBAI: After playing a series of lofted strokes on way to his fabulous, unbeaten 123 to lead Rest of India's chase against Gujarat on Day Four of their Irani Cup clash at the Brabourne Stadium here, Wriddhiman Saha explained why exactly he chose to employ the risky tactic to pull his team out of a crisis.
"I had decided that I'll be positive. Driving through the ground was difficult here than clearing the field.That's much more safer - if you time the ball, it's surely a four. Before coming here, I played two-three practice matches during Bengal's preparation for the T20 league. That also helped," said the 32-year-old gloveman.
Justifying his bold approach, which saw him stand way outside the crease, further, Saha said: "We'd lost wickets to the moving ball in the first innings. Even I got out that way. My plan to attack initially worked and then the bowlers started bowling shorter, which reduces the chances of being leg before or bowled."
The India wicket-keeper also denied that he was feeling the pressure to perform after Parthiv enjoying a dream run in the period that the former was away due to a thigh injury. "Even while playing for Bengal, I don't think about playing for India if I perform well. I keep playing freely. He (Parthiv) is also trying his best, and so am I. I don't take the pressure of performing well for the sake of playing for India," he stressed.
On Monday, Saha also showed his ability to keep his cool when the heat is on.
The first occasion was when Gujarat skipper Parthiv Patel successfully objected to the umpires allowing an extra white sheet to be put up near the sightscreen after Saha's partner, skipper and India mate Cheteshwar Pujara complained of movement near it. Saha wasn't ruffled.
At another time, Gujarat seamer Ishwar Chaudhary accidentally hit him while trying to run the batsman out on his follow through. Saha wasn't bothered, and it took Parthiv to rebuke his bowler.
"I never get angry or frustrated. Even if you ask my family members, they would say it's a problem that I don't get angry," Saha explained.
There's another reason the Bengal cricketer is different. He's on the 'whatsapp group' created for Team India, but admits that though he's in touch with Virat Kohli & Co through it, he tends to avoid using "media platforms." "I don't even read any message that's longer than three-four lines," he says.