IND vs WI 2022: "Stats tell us a few things but hide a lot" - Aakash Chopra lauds Dinesh Karthik's knock in 1st T20I

Aakash Chopra has lauded Dinesh Karthik for playing a game-defining knock in the first T20I between India and the West Indies on Friday (July 29).

Karthik smashed an unbeaten 41 off just 19 deliveries as the Men in Blue set a challenging 191-run target for the hosts at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba. Their bowlers then restricted the hosts to 122-8 to help register an emphatic 68-run win and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

While reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra picked Karthik as his Player of the Match, elaborating:

"My Player of the Match is Dinesh Karthik; he was actually chosen as the Player of the Match as well, although Rohit Sharma scored the most runs. This is where stats tell us a few things but hide a lot. They tell that Rohit was brilliant; there is no doubt about it, but when he got out, it seemed India will get stuck."

Chopra pointed out that the veteran wicketkeeper-batter ensured that India posted a massive total when they seemed to be in a spot of bother after Rohit Sharma's dismissal. The former Indian opener said:

"How will they get stuck? When Dinesh is there, everything is possible. This player is special, and he has cricket left in him. What a finisher, what a player. Dinesh Karthik came and shone, I mean one more time."

India were reduced to 127/5 when Rohit Sharma was dismissed on the penultimate ball of the 15th over. Although Ravindra Jadeja was also dismissed soon thereafter, Karthik strung together an unbroken 52-run partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin for the seventh wicket to take Team India to safer shores.

---

"He might be the only batter in the world who is played at No. 6 as a specialised position" - Aakash Chopra on Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik has played 43 T20Is to date.

While highlighting Karthik's role as a specialist finisher, Chopra added that the 37-year-old batted even lower than his customary position in Friday's game. The reputed commentator observed:

"He might be the only batter in the world who is played at No. 6 as a specialised position. He scored 41 runs off 19 balls, with four fours and two sixes, at a strike rate of 215. He didn't even come at No. 6 this time, he came at No. 7; he came after Jadeja."

Team India tend to hold Karthik back in the batting order for the last five overs or so. While Axar Patel has been promoted ahead of him a few times, Jadeja was sent at No. 6 in the first T20I on Friday.