Former India player Dinesh Karthik recently opined on senior players and head coach Gautam Gambhir celebrating India avoiding the follow-on in the Brisbane Test against Australia as well. The third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024-25) eventually ended in a draw and the series is still at 1-1 with two games of the series to go as well.
Suggesting that even Australia would have been thrilled to save the follow-on if they were in a similar situation as well, Karthik told Cricbuzz: “They are under the pump right now, a lot of the senior players. It is a lot of relief because it keeps them afloat. The series is still alive, they have another opportunity where if they get going, they are going to change how the series is going to pan out. Everything is alive and kicking, as of today, because of what that last-wicket partnership did. So, I don’t see any harm in feeling happy about it. It’s a natural emotion to come out. If Australia had toured India, and the same thing had happened, I think we would have seen a few high-fives and smiling faces.”
However, KL Rahul was the top performer with the bat for India in Brisbane as well. He played an important 84-run knock at the top of the order in the team’s first innings. Dinesh Karthik also added that the opener must be applauded for his batting performances on the Australia tour.
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“I believe in him we have the opener that India wants. I hope that they back him. In one year’s time, if there’s a series where he has a couple of low scores, I hope people don’t have a very short memory. We need to value what he’s doing today. People tend to forget that a lot of Test cricketers are judged on what they do away, and he’s been as good as anyone who’s ever played for the country,” he said.
Dinesh Karthik also said Rohit Sharma is struggling for runs in BGT 2024-25 because he seems to have lost faith in his mental ability to fight it out as well.
“Rohit Sharma has played a decade and a half of international cricket. If you are telling me, his technique is not watertight, I would be very surprised. Like everybody else, he’s got areas that he is vulnerable in, but he has the mental ability to fight it out. I am not sure he believes in it right now. That could be confidence. But, if he puts his mind to it, works on areas that he wants to really address as to how he wants to play, this question can be answered,” he stated.
“For some time now, he’s attacked himself out of pressure. That’s what India wanted in white-ball cricket. He was the pioneer for it. As leader, he showed how it should be done. It’s time for him to show the other way round. Guts it out, make sure that he is there. Avoid shots that he knows will be dangerous on that pitch and back his technique,” Dinesh Karthik concluded.
