IND vs NZ 2021: Wriddhiman Saha fit for Mumbai Test, team combination depends on weather – Virat Kohli

Indian captain Virat Kohli has revealed that wicket-keeper batter Wriddhiman Saha is fit to play for Mumbai Test and the team combination will depend on the weather conditions.

Saha had suffered a stiff neck in the opening Test match against New Zealand and Srikar Bharat had kept the wickets in place of him.

Saha could only score a solitary run in the first innings but played a vital unbeaten knock of 61 runs in the second dig despite a stiff neck as he changed his batting stance, which will help him keep his place in the second Test match.

On the other hand, the weather will also come into the picture before India will finalise their playing XI. There is untimely rain in Mumbai and the start could be delayed.

“As of now, he (Saha) is fit. He has recovered from his neck spasm and is absolutely fine,” Kohli said while addressing the media on the eve of the second Test.

“We will discuss the combination soon. There is a weather change, and we have to take that into account, and we have to pick the combination accordingly. At the end of the day, you cannot predict whether conditions will remain like this over the five days. So, we need to see what bowling combination should be picked that can tackle in different conditions,” Kohli added.

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli has got back into the team after he was rested from the T20I series and the first Test match against New Zealand. Kohli added that it is important to stay mentally fresh, especially in times of bio bubbles.

“Important to refresh mentally. To practice in a place where we didn’t have a structured environment or with no cameras makes a huge difference. To maintain the quality we must consider such things. Managing workload is more important from the mental point of view,” Virat Kohli said in the pre-match press conference in Mumbai.

The second Test match will be played in Mumbai from Friday.