Confident to take on No. 4 batting position for India, says Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik made a comeback in the Indian squad against New Zealand. (Express Archive)

When the wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik got a call back in the squad for the home series againt New Zealand, it seemed like an odd selection. In spite of having a tremendous Duleep Trophy, Karthik was not expected to find a place in the team with former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni keeping wickets. But battling all odds, the right-hand batsman found a place in the playing XI, and justified his selection with runs on the board.

The Tamil Nadu batsman went on to play a good 37-run knock and then a match-winning 64* in the first two ODIs. Now, with the limited-overs series coming up against Sri Lanka, the right-hander is hoping he would again get a chance to justify his selection once again.

Speaking in an interview to Cricbuzz, the 32-year old said that he is confident to take on the role to bat at no. 4 if given a chance. “I can say only for myself because I’ve batted for Tamil Nadu and in the IPL at No. 4. I can confidently say that I’m very confident to bat in that position… I understand what needs to be done and how to go about it and in the experience comes in really handy then,” he said.

Speaking of India’s struggle to find a permanent member for the position, Karthik went on to say that he cannot pinpoint any one reason for India’s struggle. “It’s a little hard to say, in terms of why people haven’t been able to nail that spot, I wouldn’t be able to pinpoint just one aspect,” the right-hand batsman said.

The wicketkeeper further said that team success matters more to him than his individual records. “If you were to ask me the greatest moment of my career, it has to be World T20 in 2007. On a personal note, I didn’t have a great tournament but just that fact that we won the tournament and that gave me a lot of memories. It just feels good that I was part of that. Even the Test series in England in 2007. Yes, I did well personally but more than that, me contributing to the team’s success gives me a lot of satisfaction,” Karthik said.

The right-hand batsman added that he does not remember his own individual performances but memories of series victory stay with him. “When I look back, it’s winning these big tournaments that give me a lot of pleasure. The Champions Trophy in 2013, again. These are the big moments. In between I’ve scored runs, I’ve scored centuries and I’ve failed as well but those are not things that you remember so much,” he said.

Karthik also talked about an advise that was given to him by cricketing legend VVS Laxman. “One thing [VVS] Laxman told me was it doesn’t matter if I score 30 or 40 runs. What’s more important is to score runs in such a way that I help my team win.”

On being asked about his career plans in the future, Karthik said that he never sets goals for himself. “I’m not someone who sets goals. It’s not something that’s worked for me. As cliched as it may sound, it’s more about taking it one day at a time. That’s what helps me focus and that’s what I do,” he told Crizbuzz.