If ever there was a need more desperate than the one against the Windies, to put up your hand and justify your selection, Dinesh Karthik did it and proved his mettle all over again. Having India with their back against the wall, the carribean army was marching along nicely, despite the absence of their commander-in-chief (Sir) Brian Lara, towards another dismal display by the Indian batsmen. At 90 odd for the loss of 7 wickets, the Indians must have felt that the ghosts of South Africa had come to haunt them all over again. A score of even 150 seemed a distant dream.
But not for Karthik. Just as he did in the 3rd test against the Proteas, where he was asked to stand in as an opener, Karthik proved what a determined cricketer he is. Given the match situation, the nature of the pitch and India's recent one-day record this was probably one of the best, if not the best, innings he has ever played. The shot selection, the composure and the determination were evident to all. Of-course Ajit Agarkar(40) played a pivotal role by accompanying Karthik and not throwing his wicket away like some of his senior and more experienced players did. He hung in there allowing Karthik to play some heart-warming strokes on his way to a masterful 63.
Another reason why this innings was critical is the selection of the final squad for the upcoming World Cup will be decided soon. Where players like Joginder Sharma and Ramesh Powar failed to show their talent with the bat, Karthik grabbed the opportunity by showing a lot of maturity on this slow and sluggish pitch. Powar however made up for the blip with the bat by bowling a mesmerizing spell of 3 for 42 off his alloted quota of overs. Tendulkar and Harbhajan chipped in with tight spells to keep the Windies in check and despite another fighting knock from Shivnaraine Chanderpaul the Windies were left to gasp at missed opportunities. Perhaps a little more aggression, that Chanderpaul lacked, would have taken them home.
The interesting question now is, what the composition of the Indian team for the remaining two matches will be. With the possibility of Anil Kumble coming back to the side, the most likely candidate to make way seems Joginder Sharma. Considering the fact that there are just 4 games before the final squad for the World Cup is announced, today's performance might put the brakes on his run toward the selection in the final 14. With Yuvraj still recovering from his injury, Pathan trying to get his bearings right again and Sehwag woefully out of form, Dravid's task to find a suitable all-rounded seems cut out. Hopefully the Indian think-tank will come up with some suitable backup or pray for one of these 3 player to get back to their glory days.
But not for Karthik. Just as he did in the 3rd test against the Proteas, where he was asked to stand in as an opener, Karthik proved what a determined cricketer he is. Given the match situation, the nature of the pitch and India's recent one-day record this was probably one of the best, if not the best, innings he has ever played. The shot selection, the composure and the determination were evident to all. Of-course Ajit Agarkar(40) played a pivotal role by accompanying Karthik and not throwing his wicket away like some of his senior and more experienced players did. He hung in there allowing Karthik to play some heart-warming strokes on his way to a masterful 63.
Another reason why this innings was critical is the selection of the final squad for the upcoming World Cup will be decided soon. Where players like Joginder Sharma and Ramesh Powar failed to show their talent with the bat, Karthik grabbed the opportunity by showing a lot of maturity on this slow and sluggish pitch. Powar however made up for the blip with the bat by bowling a mesmerizing spell of 3 for 42 off his alloted quota of overs. Tendulkar and Harbhajan chipped in with tight spells to keep the Windies in check and despite another fighting knock from Shivnaraine Chanderpaul the Windies were left to gasp at missed opportunities. Perhaps a little more aggression, that Chanderpaul lacked, would have taken them home.
The interesting question now is, what the composition of the Indian team for the remaining two matches will be. With the possibility of Anil Kumble coming back to the side, the most likely candidate to make way seems Joginder Sharma. Considering the fact that there are just 4 games before the final squad for the World Cup is announced, today's performance might put the brakes on his run toward the selection in the final 14. With Yuvraj still recovering from his injury, Pathan trying to get his bearings right again and Sehwag woefully out of form, Dravid's task to find a suitable all-rounded seems cut out. Hopefully the Indian think-tank will come up with some suitable backup or pray for one of these 3 player to get back to their glory days.
1 comment:
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