"I am feeling very secure in this setup" - Dinesh Karthik after match-winning effort in Rajkot T20I
In-form batter Dinesh Karthik has stated that he is feeling very secure in the current Team India setup, which is enhancing his performances out in the middle.
The 37-year-old, who made a comeback to the national team after three years, was the Player of the Match as India defeated South Africa by 82 runs in the fourth T20I in Rajkot. The aggressive batter hammered his career-best T20I score of 55 in 27 balls as the hosts squared the five-match series 2-2.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Karthik said:
“I am feeling very secure in this setup. In the last game, things didn't go according to plan for me, but I was able to go and express myself today. I had clear plans.”
The veteran batter came out to bat with India in trouble at 81 for 4. He struck nine fours and two sixes to swing the momentum of the game and lift the Men in Blue to a competitive 169 for 6.
Asked how the cricketer of 2022 is different from the one in 2004 (when he made his debut), the keeper-batter opined:
“I think DK is thinking a little better. When it comes to situations, he is able to assess it much better and that comes out of practice. Credit to my coach. Behind the scenes, we do a lot of planning in terms of how we need to approach a game. That is showing when I bat.”
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5⃣0⃣ for @DineshKarthik! 👏 👏
A cracking knock this is as he brings up a 26-ball half-century. 👌 👌
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Speaking about his innings, Karthik admitted that the surface in Rajkot was not an easy one to bat on. Giving credit to South Africa, he elaborated:
“They bowled brilliantly upfront. They made it really hard for us. It was a tough wicket to bat as well. Generally, our openers have been kind enough to get us off to good starts. Not so much today. In the middle, we found it hard to get boundaries. When I went in, Hardik (Pandya) was very clear. He told me - ‘take your time, but once you are set, you can go’.”
Karthik and Hardik (46 off 31) added 65 for the fifth wicket to rescue Team India from a precarious situation.
“There is a certain sense of calmness” - Dinesh Karthik on the Rahul Dravid effect
On the impact head coach Rahul Dravid has had on the players, the Tamil Nadu cricketer admitted that the legend brings a sense of much-needed composure to the dressing room. He said:
“Credit to Rahul bhai (Dravid). There is a certain sense of calmness. The dressing room is a safe, secure place right now. It feels warm when things go well and the same when we don’t do well. It is very important to learn to embrace pressure.”
.@DineshKarthik put on an impressive show with the bat & bagged the Player of the Match award as #TeamIndia beat South Africa in Rajkot. 👏 👏
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The deciding T20I of the India-South Africa series will be played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday (June 19).