Dinesh Karthik Reveals The Role Given To Him By The Team-Management
Jan 16, 2019 at 8:57 AM
Dinesh Karthik, on Tuesday, once again showed why the team has been hell-bent on giving him a longer rope despite his inconsistent displays in recent times. Karthik showed his finishing abilities when he slammed 29 off 8 balls against Bangladesh to guide India to a miraculous win in the Nidahas Trophy final last year and has gone from strength to strength since then. And the world against witnessed Karthik’s finishing abilities during the second ODI against Australia in Adelaide.
A last over thriller in Adelaide. #TeamIndia clinch the 2nd ODI by 6 wickets courtesy winning touches from @imVkohli @msdhoni & @DineshKarthik. 1-1 🇮🇳🇮🇳 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/aMI0q5Bhaj
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 15, 2019
He came out to bat at a precarious situation when India needed 57 runs from 38 deliveries. India had just lost their inspirational skipper Virat Kohli for 112 and another wicket could have surely left the game wide open. But Karthik played the perfect role of a finisher, sharing an unbeaten 57-run stand with the ever-green MS Dhoni to take India home in a thrilling fashion. Chasing 299, India won the game by 6 wickets with four balls remaining to level the three-match series. The right-handed batsman slammed 25 off just 14 balls to completely ease the pressure off Dhoni.
Speaking after the game, Karthik said the team-management identified the role of a finisher for him at number six.
“I’ve practiced it (finishing games), worked on it and it’s a skill I think is very important. It’s a skill where you need to have a cool head. A lot of experience helps. This is probably one of the hardest skills in the game. To finish a match and be on the winning side is something that is great to be a part of.”
“Definitely the team management has told me this is the role for me right now. And they want me to do the best I can. They are backing me completely. They have told me that this is where I’m going to bat and this is what they expect out of me and I’m trying to achieve that,” he said.
The three-match series, meanwhile, will be decided when both the teams take on each other in the third and final ODI on January 18 in Melbourne.