Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik feels he has a good chance of making India's Champions Trophy playing eleven after his 94-run knock in the warm-up game against Bangladesh on Tuesday.
Replacing an injured Manish Pandey, Karthik was named in India’s squad right before the team left for England. After failing to perform with the bat in the first warm-up match, Karthik scored 94 off just 74 balls.
I saw this game (against Bangladesh) as an opportunity to showcase my skill and it was nice to get some time in the middle. I feel ready for the tournament now.
India eventually bowled Bangladesh out for 84, beating them by a massive 240 runs in their final warm-up game.
For me, obviously, it was an important match. I guess the likes of captain and coach are watching me bat, and (for them) seeing where I stand is very important. It’s important that whenever I get the opportunity, I try and do the best that I can.
Karthik's career started on a promising note in the early 2000’s, but since then, he has been overshadowed by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
By his own admission, Karthik needed the knock against Bangladesh after scoring a nervous nine-ball duck in India's first warm-up match against New Zealand.
In the last game, I was a little nervous going in. Even though Virat tried his best to calm my nerves, it was a little difficult. I was back in the blues after a long time, so I guess I was probably over-excited. It was one of those days where the bowler and the keeper were playing and I was just standing in between, not doing much and getting beaten. It was pretty embarrassing out there.Dinesh Karthik
He added:
Against Bangladesh, I calmed myself down and I thought, ‘it’s an important opportunity for me to go out there and play a few shots’. I worked on my batting a little bit yesterday, got a hit and felt better today.
Karthik, who hadn’t feature in an ODI since 2014, said “You have to be aware of the conditions. If the sun is out, it's pretty beautiful to bat. But if there's a bit of cloud cover, the bowler gets the upper hand. There's a bit of swing and immediately things change and you can see the way the game progresses. There is a certain game flow with the sun being out and not," he said.
India will open their Champions Trophy campaign against Pakistan on 4 June.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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