England vs India 2018: Nervous yet excited Dinesh Karthik looks forward to the English challenge

What’s the story?

Dinesh Karthik who made a comeback in Test cricket in the only Test match against Afghanistan last month is ‘nervous’ and ‘excited’ at the same time as he gets ready to face England in the upcoming five-match Test series. However, he is looking forward to this challenge.

“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,” Dinesh Karthik said, in an interview with BCCI.tv.

In case you didn’t know…

It was in England 11 years ago where Dinesh Karthik scored three fifties in the series as an opener. He played a vital role in India’s Test series win over England in 2007.

11 years later, he now returns as India’s first-choice Test wicket-keeper after Wriddhiman Saha was ruled out due to a shoulder injury.

The Details

In 2007, while India saved the first Test at Lord’s, they won the second game at Trent Bridge convincingly before the third Test ended in a high-scoring draw. Karthik is the only member of that team to have lasted this long and when quizzed about the famous series, he termed it as a ‘terrific’ one. It was one of his best series as a player as he finished with 263 runs in 6 innings and scored a fifty in every game.

“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. 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,” the 33-year-old recalled.

The three-match series was a very competitive one with both teams not giving an edge. And it did become famous for the ‘jelly-bean’ incident which involved Zaheer Khan, Kevin Pietersen and a couple of other England players. Anil Kumble got a memorable ton at the Oval and eventually, India won a Test series in England after 21 years.

Karthik fondly remembered these incidents and said, “There was also a lot of banter and arguments, quite a few heated moments in the Test series but it was all played in a good spirit. 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.”

He was also all praise for the captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri and added that the mood of the team was upbeat and positive.

“We are looking forward to it as a team and we are excited to see the captain and coach leading us from the front with a lot of positive energy and positive vibes, so at this point of time the mood in the camp is upbeat,” he further added.

What’s next?

With the first Test beginning on August 1st in Edgbaston, Dinesh Karthik is going to don the gloves and will play a key role in the batting line-up as well. Virat Kohli and his men will be aiming to set the record straight after failing miserably on their last two tours.