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Birmingham, July 28
He is nervous but Dinesh Karthik can’t escape a feeling of deja vu as he gets ready to don the big gloves in a Test series in England exactly 11 years after his impressive knocks against the same opposition. Karthik, who made his Test comeback against Afghanistan in June, will have the big responsibility of filling in for Wriddhiman Saha, who is set to undergo shoulder surgery.
In the 2007 series in England, Karthik had played a pivotal role, scoring 60 at Lord’s, 77 at Trent Bridge and 91 at the Oval in India’s 1-0 series win. “I am feeling nervous and a little excited. Playing Test cricket after a long time, and I am looking forward to it. Playing in England is a great challenge, and like any other player, I am as excited as I can be,” Karthik told BCCI.TV.
Interestingly, Karthik is the only player in the current squad from the 2007 tour, when India last won a Test series in England under Rahul Dravid. “I don’t remember so far back, my memory is so bad. I do remember it as the highlight of my career (so far). It was a terrific Test series, one of the few series where both sides played the same XI through the three Tests,” he said.
“It just goes to show how competitive it was. Both teams didn’t feel the need to make any changes, which shows the kind of quality of cricket in the contest,” Karthik recollected.
‘Banter, argiuments’
Karthik also recalled the banter and arguments and the famous “jellybean incident” involving Zaheer Khan and England players at Trent Bridge. Khan, while batting, found some chewed jellybeans (a kind of sugary sweet) on the pitch and had an argument with the England players. A fired up Khan took a five-for in the second innings to set up an Indian win.
“There was a lot of banter and arguments, quite a few heated moments in the Test series but it was played in good spirits. We saved a game at the Lord’s, won in Nottingham, and Anil Kumble got a hundred at Surrey (Oval). They had no way to make a match out of it,” said Karthik. — PTI
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