Wind, uneven fields, and two-paced pitches were among the difficulties that India overcame in the Caribbean.
Dinesh Karthik’s thoughts on World Cup
According to batsman Dinesh Karthik, the varied difficulties brought on by the Caribbean’s climate would aid India’s training for dealing with diverse circumstances during the T20 World Cup in Australia. The teams relocated to Lauderhill in Florida for the last two games of the series this weekend after playing the first three Twenty20 Internationals in the West Indies.
Karthik was one of the players who excelled on the two-paced field at Tarouba for the opening T20I and made use of the uneven ground parameters. India had to contend with a severe cross wind in the second and third games at St. Kitts. India fared significantly better in the third T20I to grab a 2-1 series lead after failing to adjust in the second T20I.
The three stadiums that immediately come to mind when I think of the World Cup are Sydney, where the sides are slightly smaller and the straights are longer; Adelaide, where the sides are very small and the straights are again long; and Melbourne, where the straights are short and the sides are very big. Therefore, everywhere we play, we will come across diverse terrain, which means that the challenges will also be varied.
“Every location where we’ve played has had unique challenges in this area. Therefore, merely showing up whenever you get the chance presents a certain obstacle. That pressure is independent. Two of the primary themes Rohit [Sharma] and Rahul [Dravid] covered at the start of this series were adaptability and situational awareness. I think we’ve done a very decent job of it thus far.”
Karthik included, twelve Indian players have essentially locked up their berths in the T20 World Cup, leaving seven or eight competitors vying for the final three spots. Karthik claimed that it would be challenging for the decision-makers to settle on the final 15 given the depth of potential in India.
With terms of the quantity of players available, he remarked, “Look, right now in the Indian team, we have the capacity to send out two teams or maybe even three teams.” “I don’t believe many nations can say that, therefore if just 15 guys are participating out of a solid 40 players, 20–25 players would be left feeling like they should have made the team. Dinesh Karthik thinking about the world cup.
Karthik has recently exhibited exceptional finishing ability, winning games for India and his IPL team, Royal Challengers Bangalore, both at home and away. He has had a strike rate of 205.55 in the last overs since the IPL 2022 began (17-20). In all T20s during this time, only James Neesham (227.65) and Tim David (226.72) had a higher strike rate than Karthik. Karthik has learnt to accept the pressure that comes with playing the finisher’s position.
According to Karthik, “pressure is a luxury at this moment in time as a cricket player [and] as a sportsperson.” It is something that [you] only receive while performing at the greatest level and when people are looking at you to perform in specific ways.
Karthik acknowledged the management of the Indian squad for creating an atmosphere that allowed players to feel secure and develop into their positions despite setbacks.Dinesh Karthik thinking about the world cup.
The amount of love and support I have received, not just from the team and the fans but also from the captain and the coach, makes me one of the happiest Indian team members I have ever been a part of.
“This is what I’ve worked for all my life, and the captain and coach believe so much in me, it’s only right that I reciprocate the faith by providing performances that will help the team cross the line in many different ways, and that’s what I’ve been trying to do.”
