Dinesh Karthik had a few solutions for Team India after their humiliating defeat at the WTC final on Sunday, June 11.
India suffered a humiliating defeat against Australia in the WTC final held at The Oval in London. The match concluded on the first session of the fifth day. Australia emerged victorious with a commanding 209-run lead, showcasing their dominance in all aspects of the game. This defeat marked India’s second consecutive loss in the WTC final.
In a rather one-sided final, pacers Mohammad Siraj and Mohammad Shami were the only bright spots for India. Despite their efforts, the overall performance of the Indian squad was lackluster, leading to calls from fans and experts for a complete overhaul of the team.
Dinesh Karthik’s Suggestion For New WTC Cycle
Dinesh Karthik, the India and Royal Challengers Bangalore wicket-keeper-batter, shared his thoughts on the need for a squad revamp in an interview with Cricbuzz. He acknowledged that two factors were at play—a revamp of the Test squad was necessary. Apart from that, the absence of younger regular members due to injuries had an impact. Notably, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, and KL Rahul were sidelined for the WTC final due to injuries.
Dinesh Karthik emphasised the importance of addressing the age factor in the squad, with many players approaching their mid-30s. He suggested that Rahul Dravid, the team’s coach, needed to decide which players to retain and who to move on from. He also highlighted the significance of including players like Bumrah, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Pant, stating that they deserved a place in the team due to their contributions during the current cycle of matches.
Regarding potential additions to the Test line-up, Karthik mentioned Yashasvi Jaiswal as a standout performer in domestic cricket. He also mentioned Sarfaraz Khan for the middle-order position. Furthermore, he raised the question of whether there was room for emerging talents like Mukesh Kumar or other promising medium pacers to establish themselves in the team over a two-year cycle.
What Dinesh Karthik said
“No. 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal. He has had a phenomenal domestic season. Are we going to find a place for him? No. 2 Sarfaraz Khan. Now that’s been a big name doing the rounds for some time now in the middle order. If you want to fit him in, who are you going to leave out and then followed by the Mukesh Kumars and the rest of them, is there a place for a new medium pacer to come in and stamp his authority over a period of time? Are you going to give him that two-year cycle?” Dinesh Karthik said.
Dinesh Karthik also identified weaknesses in India’s bowling department. He expressed that while Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj performed well, Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur did not meet the expectations set by head coach Rahul Dravid and skipper Rohit Sharma. Although Shardul contributed with the bat, Karthik emphasised that he should primarily be seen as a bowler who can bat, rather than a pure all-rounder. The role and position of Umesh Yadav within the team was also questioned by the India wicketkeeper.