Karthik aims to seal no. 4 spot

Chennai: The no. 4 spot in India’s ODI team is up for grabs. The team management has so far auditioned five batsmen in the last 10 matches for the critical position. As the likes of K.L. Rahul, Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav have failed to make an impact in that spot, it could be the turn of Dinesh Karthik, who slammed an unbeaten half-century in his last ODI against the West Indies at Kingston.

After being dropped for the Sri Lanka and Australia series, Karthik worked his way back into the ODI side by scoring 291 runs including two centuries at an average of 72.75 in the Duleep Trophy.

Karthik said he was keen on making use of the opportunity in the series against New Zealand, starting in Mumbai on October 22. “I think no. 4 is a great position for me to bat. I have been batting there for Tamil Nadu in white ball cricket and it’s been going good. I have also done it at No.4 at various levels. I’m confident of doing my best if an opportunity comes my way,” the 32-year-old added.

With so many contenders for one spot, Karthik knows the importance of making a quick impression. “I don’t think anybody would tell how many matches you would get. So every match I play is important and I should try to utilise that to the maximum,” he added.

Karthik said Team India under Virat Kohli is a vibrant unit and the support staff add to the strength. “Coach Ravi Shastri had a chat with me during the Australia T20 series. He told me what I should be working on and how he sees me in the future. I’m very happy to have had that conversation with him. Sanjay Bangar, Bharath Arun and R. Sridhar make a formidable support staff,” he added.

Of late, Karthik has been playing in the India side as a specialist batsman, but he sees no reason to give up wicket-keeping. “I’m confident of fielding anywhere and it’s been a part of my repertoire. I’m also a back-up for M.S. Dhoni and it’s important that I keep polishing my keeping skills,” he said.

Since he made his international debut in 2004, he has been part of various dressing rooms. Karthik believes the current team is one of the best. “This team is probably going to leave a rich legacy in the next few years as one of the greatest India has ever produced. I’m privileged that I can be even part of this team. The great thing about this team is even the bowlers are able to bat which gives us depth in batting,” he said.