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Dinesh Karthik - 'Finisher's role is one such that it is hard to be consistent'

Dinesh Karthik has been performing exceptionally well as a finisher of late. However, he has admitted that it is hard for any batter in the role to be consistent throughout.

India vs West Indies/Windies, IND vs WI 2022: Dinesh Karthik - Finishers role is one such that it is hard to be consistent-ayh
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Lauderhill, First Published Aug 6, 2022, 3:20 PM IST

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik feels that playing in distinct conditions in the ongoing West Indies tour would help India prepare for the challenges that the Australian grounds will pose during the ICC T20 World Cup later this year. India played the opening three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) in the West Indies before moving to Florida for a remaining couple of matches. The Indians had to steer through different conditions in the three games and faced a two-paced pitch in Tarouba, while St Kitts had strong winds.

"I think it is fascinating because even in the World Cup straightaway, the three grounds that come to my mind are Sydney - the sides are slightly smaller, and the straights are longer. Adelaide, we all know that the sides are minimal, and again, the straights are long, whereas, in Melbourne, it's the exact opposite - the straights are short, and the sides are huge," Karthik said ahead of the fourth T20I against the Windies.

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"So, obviously, we are going to be encountering different grounds wherever we are going to be playing, so the challenges are going to be different," added Karthik. India leads the five-match series 2-1, winning the opening and third T20. "Here, the challenges have been different in every venue we have played," he continued.

"So, every time you get an opportunity, a specific challenge comes with just walking in. That is pressure by itself. One of the key things that Rohit [Sharma] and Rahul [Dravid] have spoken about in this series at the start was adaptability and understanding the situations. I think that is something we've done pretty well so far," reckoned Karthik.

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Karthik has flourished in his new role in the team, but he feels it hard to be invariant in the finisher's role. "Finisher's part is one such that it is hard to be consistent. Every time you get in, you should be able to make an impact that will help the team. There are a lot of factors that can make it more challenging for you, especially in the Caribbean and Miami," he stated.

"Wind will be a massive factor. Even though it is a sport played with a heavy ball, the wind dictates some of the times you play the shots. It works both ways, the bowlers are clever, and they try to force you to hit into the wind as much as possible. That makes it all the tougher," feels Karthik.

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Karthik returned to the Indian team after a spectacular 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, where he was at his explosive best. If he feels the pressure to perform every time in the national set-up, he said: "Pressure is a privilege at this point. As a sportsperson, it is a given when you are playing at a higher level and when people expect certain things from you."

"What is important is making sure that on a given day, what the match situation is, reading the situation and trying to give your best on that given day," considered Karthik. He also heaped praise on the captain and the head coach for delivering players plentiful options despite facing a problem of ton in terms of mastery.

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"Players are allowed to fail. It's imperative to allow players to fall and then move on to the next player. In India right now, there are so many players. But, here, you get value for what you have achieved over a while. That is something that needs to be respected by this coaching staff," presented Karthik.

"Right now in the Indian team, we have the potential to put out two or maybe, even three teams in terms of the number of players available. I don't think many countries can boast of that. Players who are part of the 15 [for the T20WC] should realise how important and beautiful it is to be part of this team and how proud we should be of representing our country on a world stage," Karthik concluded.

(With inputs from PTI)

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