Dinesh Karthik, who is having a strong run of form as a batter, has indicated that he is experiencing a high level of security in the current Team India structure, which is helping to improve his performances out in the middle.
The 37-year-old player, who returned to the national squad after an absence of three years, was named the Player of the Match during India’s 82-run victory against South Africa in the fourth Twenty20 International that was held in Rajkot. The aggressive hitter smashed his career-best Twenty20 International total of 55 in only 27 balls, helping the hosts draw level in the five-match series at 2-2.
In his remarks during the presentation after the match, Karthik stated:
“I have a strong sense of safety in this arrangement. In the last match, things didn’t work out the way I had hoped they would, but today I was able to play freely and show what I’m made of. I have everything mapped out.”
When the senior batsman stepped out to bat, India’s score was 81 for 4, and the team was in danger. He hit nine fours and two sixes to turn the tide of the match and push the Men in Blue to a respectable total of 169 for 6.
What did Dinesh Karthik say about the changes that he made?
When questioned about how the cricketer of 2022 is different from the one who played in 2004 (the year in which he made his debut), the keeper-batter provided the following response:
“I believe that DK’s way of thinking is starting to improve. Because of his extensive training, he has significantly improved his capacity to analyze various scenarios. This success is directly attributable to his regular practice. I have to give credit to my coach. We do a lot of preparation in terms of how we need to approach a game behind the scenes, and that helps us a lot. That will be evident when I am up to bat.”
When he was speaking about his innings at Rajkot, Karthik acknowledged that the batting surface was not an easy one to play on. He continued by giving credit to South Africa and saying:
“They bowled really well right from the start. They made things really difficult for us. In addition to that, the wicket proved difficult to bat on. In most cases, the players who have opened for us have been kind enough to help us get off to strong beginnings. These days, not so much. When we were in the midst, it was difficult to establish clear limits. When I walked in, Hardik (Pandya) was able to communicate extremely well. He advised me to “take your time, but whenever you are ready to move on, you may do so.”
The 65 runs that Karthik and Hardik put together for the fifth wicket were what saved Team India from a potentially disastrous position.