Indian batsman Dinesh Karthik has had a decent run in the recently concluded India-New Zealand ODI series, where he amassed 105 runs in three innings. With those innings, he not only he helped his cause, but Team India’s as well.
Karthik has never been in the national squad on a consistent basis and even his success’ have been short-lived on the international stage. Talking to Hindustan Times, Karthik said, “It is always harder to make an international comeback than play for the first time. When you are part of the playing XI after a long time, you have to fight a lot of mental pressure to prove yourself.”
Despite being a consistent performer in the domestic circuit, Karthik failed to become a regular member of the Indian team, but he feels that the New Zealand series has made him calmer. He said, “I feel I am in a good position right now. I got my chances (against New Zealand) and I am happy to spend a good time in the middle and score runs.”
With some uncertainty in the middle-order of the Indian team, and given Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav’s inconsistent run, Karthik needs to make every opportunity count in order to make the position of his own. The wicket-keeper batsman reckons that he can fit into any role, given the needs and demands of the team.
Talking about his position in the team, Dinesh said, “Right now the coach (Ravi Shashtri) and captain (Virat Kohli) are doing a great job. The team has been on a winning run and it’s great. For me, I would want to contribute in whatever role is given to me. I am not in a position to decide about my role. But I am ready to play my part in all three areas.”
The Tamil Nadu batsman expressed his pleasure over good fielding from the Indian team. He said, “This team is one of the strongest simply because of the batting depth. Also, I was surprised with the way we were better than New Zealand in fielding. They are top fielders and we did better than them, which is quite an achievement. To stop those extra 10 to 15 runs is crucial in deciding games. Credit should be given to R Sridhar (fielding coach). I think if this team plays to its potential, it can pretty much achieve anything.”
