Dinesh Karthik’s story is one among those who had lots of potentials but failed to convert that potential into performances for the country. Being one of the most naturally gifted wicket keepers, Karthik has never been able to cement his place in the side for long.
Stellar domestic performances have earned him many call-ups for India. But every time he hasn’t cashed in on his chances while playing for India.
Karthik, 32 already, made another comeback on the back of a fruitful domestic season in 2016-17. However, it’s just a matter of time before selectors say ‘That’s it’ and write him off if he fails to perform this time. “Maybe it is (the last of comebacks) but I have not looked at it that way,” Karthik told PTI when asked about his latest comeback.
“If you start thinking on those lines (future in the team), you put extra pressure on yourself. I am satisfied with the way I batted in ODI series against New Zealand and would aim to do the same whenever I get the next opportunity. I don”t know if it was my best ODI innings but it surely was an important one, personally as well as for the team,” recalled Karthik.
Even though Karthik missed out on big scores, he made two valuable contributions of 37 and 64 in ODI series vs New Zealand.
“In terms of feelers (for the future) from the team management, nothing has been communicated. But regarding my batting, I did have a long chat with Ravi Bhai (Shastri). He was happy with my batting against New Zealand but he said there are still areas where I can improve upon, especially maintaining the tempo of the innings since he feels I have all the shots. I agree with him and that is what I would look to do.” He further added.
Karthik credits Nayar for his success:
Karthik says he owes his success to Mumbai all-rounder Abhishek Nayar, “I would not be where I am without Abhishek Nayar. Working with him is an ongoing process. We discuss a lot about the game, mostly on the phone since we are both busy playings. For example, before the New Zealand series, he advised me to show intent from ball one, be very aggressive,” Karthik to PTI.
He further commented that passing Yo-Yo fitness test is not as difficult as climbing Everest and benchmarks set are achievable. The minimum score required to pass the test is 16.1. “The current benchmark is pretty achievable. Anybody who puts in a bit of effort can reach that mark. There is nothing earth-shattering about it. It only starts getting tougher from 17.5 onwards. There has been a lot of hues and cry about it but it is pretty achievable for most sportsmen,” he opined.
Making his debut in 2004, in 13 years of international cricket, Karthik has played 23 tests, 75 ODIS and 10 T20Is for India. His numbers don’t do justice to his talent. He has never scored a century in white-ball cricket for India. Also, the averages in all 3 formats are lingering in the late 20s which is mediocre for a player who has a lot of talent.
– by Atharva Apte
