Dinesh Karthik has done what he can do best: Abhishek Nayar

Dinesh Karthik hasn’t had the best of campaigns by any means on English soil thus far. The Indian wicketkeeper-batsman could only score 21 runs at Edgbaston and Lord’s, including a couple of ducks, and was subsequently, replaced by 20-year-old Rishabh Pant for the third Test at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer was also lacklustre with his prowess behind the wickets.

Pant showed good temperament with the willow and also took five catches in the first innings, showing no signs of nerves whatsoever. Hence, Karthik’s return to the Test eleven at least in the ongoing series seems to be a tad bleak. In the meantime, Abhishek Nayar, his mentor, reckons that the 33-year-old hasn’t got out to poor strokes and admitted that failures are part and parcel of the game.

Dinesh will bounce back strongly

“It’s a team management’s decision. He has played in two Test matches where conditions were really tough and he has not done well. He played one decent innings. It’s not like he has played bad shots, he got out to good deliveries. Failure can happen to any cricketer. Not every story is going to be a fairytale,” Nayar was quoted as saying in Mid-Day.

Nayar, who has been with Karthik through thick and thin in the last couple of years, seemed satisfied with the efforts he has put in. “As far as this tour is concerned, I have absolutely zero disappointment. I am only proud of him (Karthik). He has done what he can do best. It obviously has not worked out. In this Test [at Trent Bridge], people are getting runs, and Dinesh is not playing.

Whether or not he would do well, that is only a question mark that is going to be left unanswered. The matches where DK played in, we all know how the conditions were and how they bowled. It can happen to the best, but it’s not an excuse. Dinesh will bounce back strongly,” the Hyderabad-born cricketer added.

Nayar recently bid adieu to Mumbai cricket after playing 99 first-class matches for them. He could only five play five Ranji matches last season and was left of Mumbai’s pre-season camp for the upcoming edition of the domestic tournament. The 34-year-old all-rounder will now represent Puducherry in the next domestic season.

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