Dinesh Karthik
Karthik wants to score plenty of hundreds and not think about an India recall
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Dinesh Karthik Interview - 'Want my mind to be free'
He may not want to acknowledge it but Tamil Nadu captain and former India wicketkeeper batsman Dinesh Karthik would've loved to be born in a different era – one in which a so-called Mahendra Singh Dhoni wasn't playing for India.
With Test spots up for grabs for the tour of New Zealand and new rules in place in the prestigious Duleep Trophy, an action-packed game 1 between Central Zone and South Zone got underway on Thursday morning at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The Kookaburra ball in use for the Duleep Trophy, the only domestic tournament it is used for, also added a new dimension to the contest. South Zone skipper VVS Laxman on the eve of the game said "It is a good opportunity for bowlers to get used to it (Kookaburra). Whenever we go abroad, the bowlers, especially spinners, struggle to cope with it," he added, indicating that it would be good preparation for the tour to New Zealand.
Star batsmen Laxman (13), Rahul Dravid (7), S Badrinath (13), Robin Uthappa (22) and Abhinav Mukund (13) were all dismissed cheaply. South Zone were left in tatters at 88-6 with the possibility of elimination hanging around their neck with the new knock-out 
rule in place.
Karthik walked into the crease and smashed 153 runs off just 113 balls – a knock that included 24 boundaries and 4 sixes. He was particularly severe against former India spinners Piyush Chawla and Murali Kartik. He didn't spare any of the Central bowlers.
"This has to rank as one of the best knocks I have played in my career. Considering the situations, the fact that it is a knock-out game and also that we lost all our top-order guys; this was a truly special knock against a pretty decent Central Zone attack," an elated Karthik told cricketnirvana.com
It was reported by Daily News Analysis (DNA) on Thursday that Kookaburra balls were not made available on time by the BCCI; resulting in the players practising with the good old SG balls on the eve of the game. Karthik felt this played a huge part in the proceedings.
"The Kookaburra ball made a huge difference. There was a lot of juice in the pitch and a lot of lateral movement too. It was really difficult to bat this morning (Thursday morning) and that's why I rate this knock so highly. It is good for our domestic players. This is a good initiative by the BCCI," Karthik said.
He performed exceedingly well against the likes of Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock in South Africa a few years ago. He was the leading run-getter when India marched to a famous Test series win in England in 2007. Having built a reputation of a batsman who does well on overseas trips, Karthik can push for a spot in the Test team for the tour of New Zealand.
"I don't want to think about that now seriously. I have made that mistake in the past. It affects my mind when I keep thinking about a India recall. Honestly I just want to score a lot of runs, a lot of hundreds – big hundreds and just let my bat do the talking. I know good things will come my way," Karthik said.
Karthik, who has been out of the Test team since the tour of Sri Lanka last year, felt 'really good' to share the dressing room with the likes of Dravid and Laxman. "I love those guys and have so much admiration for them. It is always nice to share the dressing room with them again. They are a calming influence and bring out the best in me."
