London: Done in by nerves to start with, keeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik said Wednesday that he has a good chance of making the playing XI after his fluent knock in the warm-up game against Bangladesh. India play their first game June 4 against Pakistan at Birmingham.
“I saw this game (against Bangladesh) as an opportunity to showcase my skill and it was nice to get some time in the middle. I feel ready for the tournament now,” he said after the game Tuesday.
“For me obviously it was an important match. I guess the likes of captain and coach are watching me bat, and (for them) seeing where I stand is very important. It’ crucial for me to do the best I can whenever I get a chance,” the Tamil Nadu player added.
Karthik’s career started on a promising note in the early 2000s, but since then he has been looked upon as a replacement specialist ever since Mahendra Singh Dhoni came to the fore. By his own admission, he was nervous ahead of the game against New Zealand.
“In the last game I was a little nervous going in,” he admitted. “Even though Virat (Kohli) tried his best to calm my nerves, it was a little difficult. I was back in the blue jersey after a long time, so I guess I was very over-excited probably. It was an embarrassing dismissal though.
“(But) Against Bangladesh, I calmed myself down and I thought: ‘it’s an important opportunity for me to go out there and play a few shots’. I worked on my batting a little bit and it felt better getting some runs under my belt,” Karthik added.
Agencies
