Out of favour India opener, Gautam Gambhir feels Dinesh Karthik should get an extended run in the five-match Test series against England.
Gautam felt Karthik is on the brink of his career. Hence, the team management must give him an extra one or two matches. Gambhir gave this answer when asked about the prospects of Rishabh Pant come into the fray for the 3rd Test at Trent Bridge.
During an interview with the Times of India, Gambhir stated Pant is a wonderful player, but he has several years in front of him.
Gautam Gambhir felt as Karthik has reached a stage where it will be difficult for him to make a comeback again, he must play in the 3rd Test and even in the 4th one.
“Rishabh can wait. But if you ask me I will go with Karthik,” said Gambhir. However, he did accept the fact that there will always be a temptation to play Pant.
India had been pretty disappointing in the series so far which also includes the performance from Dinesh Karthik.
However, Gautam Gambhir came in support of Karthik stating these are challenging conditions to play. Moreover, none of the batsmen apart from Virat Kohli in the opening Test had scored runs for India. Despite India’s below-par performances in the first two Tests, Gambhir feels India can still make a comeback and win or level the Test series.
Gautam Gambhir reveals the weakness of the English team
When asked about the shortcomings of the home team, Gambhir stated England is indeed a very vulnerable side, and it was quite evident in the first two Tests.
England was put on the mat in the opening Test at Birmingham. They had lost seven wickets in the 2nd innings with a lead of a mere 99 runs. Had it not been for a brilliant knock from Sam Curran, the hosts would have gone 0-1 down in the five-match Test series.
Hence, Gambhir felt the visitors should latch on to the opportunity presented to them by the Englishmen. India is the number one side in the world, and even if they lose the series 0-5, they will maintain their numero uno status. However, to maintain their reputation, they must come out all guns blazing in the 3rd Test and look to stage a memorable comeback.