Kolkata, March 29 (IANS): A day after India captain Virat Kohli said that he and his teammates are no longer friends with Australian cricketers, wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha said that he would have no problem playing under Glenn Maxwell for Kings XI Punjab in the ensuing IPL and will have to abide by the decisions he takes as captain.
“That will be in the IPL. I have to accept the team’s (KXIP) decision. What happened is now in the past. The feeling now is very good after winning the series,” Saha, who was a member of the Indian team that beat Australia 2-1 in the four-Test series, told reporters here when asked about playing under Maxwell for Kings XI Punjab.
The series was marred by incessant sledging with the DRS controversy in the second Test adding to the growing hostilities between the two teams in the bitterly fought series.
Kohli, who did not play the fourth and final Test in Dharamsala due to a shoulder injury, said at the post-match press conference that “Australian cricketers are no longer friends”.
Asked about India’s aggressive approach in the series, Saha, who too had an altercation with Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood, said they have always been like this and it’s nothing new.
“You might have felt that we were more aggressive in this series. But we have always been like this. In the West Indies, then Sri Lanka...we were always aggressive as a unit,” he said.
In his six innings during the four Tests, the diminutive stumper took two brilliant catches and scored 174 runs, which included a century during the third Test in Ranchi.
Saha, in the first innings of that Test, stitched together a marathon 199-run stand for the seventh wicket with Cheteshwar Pujara.
Besides that, the Bengal keeper was also involved in crucial partnership with Man of the Series Ravindra Jadeja in the fourth Test with the pair engineering a 96-run association for the seventh wicket. This helped the hosts take the lead and eventually win the game after the Aussies collapsed for a paltry 137 in their second essay.
“I am happy that I could contribute in the team’s cause,” Saha said when asked about his important contributions with the bat.
“In future, if I can build many more such partnerships like I did with Pujara or Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja), it will definitely augur well for me.”
Beating Australia was special, Saha said and added that their comeback after being battered in the first Test in Pune made the series victory all the more satisfying.
“Any series win is important. This win is more special because it is against Australia. After losing the first match, we came back and won the series. It’s a good feeling.”
Saha said he is now focusing on the IPL and that Kohli’s support in the series was amazing.
“I am focusing on IPL now. Kohli always supports the team. He always asks us to back our instincts.”
