MEMORY FOR A LIFETIME: KARTHIK
Colombo, March 19: Dinesh Karthik is no Hrishikesh Kanitkar or Joginder Sharma but the Indian batsman is not complaining about the “memories of a lifetime” that his last- ball six against Bangladesh created.
Kanitkar’s boundary against Pakistan under fading Bangabandhu Stadium lights in Dhaka or Joginder Sharma’s final over act against the arch- rivals in the inaugural World Cup at the Wanderers were one- off acts that made them household names.
Karthik, during his sporadic India appearances in the last 13 and half years, has certainly done more than Kanitkar or Joginder but perhaps never had that “me too” moment that every cricketer craves for.
“It’s an amazing feeling. These are things which remain in your memory for a lifetime,” an ecstatic Karthik told bcci. tv after the end of the Nidahas Trophy final on Sunday.
Karthik did a Javed Miandad with a last- ball six as India pulled off an incredible chase beating Bangladesh by four wickets.
Needing five off the final delivery, Karthik smashed Soumya Sarkar over extra- cover to secuire what would certainly be one of India’s most famous last ball sixes.
“It’s been a great journey for the past one year and I am very happy to be a part of this. We have put in a lot of hard work and it’s good to have won the tournament at the end of it all. I want to thank the support staff for the effort they have put in,” the 32- yearold said.
India’s ‘ man of the moment’ tried to position himself in the crease preempting what Rubel Hossain and Soumya Sarkar would bowl during the final two overs of their Nidahas Trophy triumph.
“At that stage, all I was trying to do was hit a boundary every ball. I was positioning myself on the crease according to what he would bowl. It kind of paid off,” the affable Tamil Nadu cricketer said modestly.
Karthik expressed his surprise at the number of Sri Lankan supporters, who had turned up to back India.
The Indian team right now is a tough place to get an opportunity, but once you get it, you’ve got to make the most of it. Full credit to the support staff for giving me the confidence. — Dinesh Karthik