Dinesh Karthik
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Krishna Kumar Dinesh Karthik (KKDK) (Tamil
: கிருஷ்ணகுமார் தினேஷ் கார்த்திக் ) (born 1 June 1985) is a wicketkeeper-batsman who has made his debut for the Indian cricket team
in 2004 and has been a regular member of the team for varying periods since then, including a stint in 2007 as a specialist opening batsman and non-wicket-keeper. Karthik was a batsman in his junior career, but turned to wicket-keeping in order to improve his future prospects. Throughout his career, Karthik has been criticized for unreliable glove-work symptomatic of a non-specialist wicket-keeper.
Rising through the junior ranks, Karthik made his first-class debut in late-2002 for Tamil Nadu
as a 17-year-old, and was dropped in his first season despite his healthy run-scoring because of his problematic glovework. He fought his way back into the team and after playing for India at the 2004 Under-19 World Cup, made his ODI and Test cricket
debut in late-2004. This came after India had struggled to find a reliable glove-work in the past few years.
Karthik was the regular wicket-keeper in Tests, making rare appearances in ODIs. During this period, Karthik struggled and averaged less than 20 with the bat, and he was replaced as Test wicketkeeper by Mahendra Singh Dhoni
, who had been prolific and destructive with the bat in ODIs, in late-2005. After donning the mantle of an opener for Tamil Nadu and raising himself to the standard of a specialist batsman at domestic level, he was recalled to the national squad as a batsman in late-2006 after injuries and form slumps hit other batsmen, playing occasional matches in both forms of cricket on the tour to South Africa, and scoring a helf-century in a Test as an opener. Following India's elimination from the first round of the 2007 Cricket World Cup
, the selectors made multiple changes, and Karthik became a non-wicket-keeping opening batsman in the Test team and regularly played ODIs, batting in the middle order.
He made his maiden Test century against Bangladesh and then was India's leading scorer in the Test tour of England, helping India to win their first series in England in 21 years. However, Karthik suffered a form slump in late-2007 and was dropped from the Test team, and since then has only made sporadic international appearances, although he continues to score heavily in domestic cricket. These have come in occasional appearances as a specialist batsman when other players were rested or injured, or as a wicket-keeper when Dhoni was sidelined. Karthik's glove-work for India continues to be criticized.
, where his father Krishna Kumar worked. Karthik was taught by his father, a first-division cricketer from Chennai
. Disappointed that his own career was hindered when he was forced by his family to put his education first, Karthik's father did not want his son to suffer the same way, and trained him hard from an early age. Karthik honed his reflexes at this young age by having his father throw hard leather balls at him at high speed. Initially he played in the youth teams for Tamil Nadu
as a batsman who was learning to keep wicket, and was regarded by Robin Singh
as having very high levels of fitness.
Karthik steadily ascended the youth ranks. He made his debut for Tamil Nadu Under-14s in early-1999, and after scoring 78 and 26 in his two interstate matches, was promoted to the Under-16 team in November, still less than 14 and half years old. After spending the entire 1999–2000 season in the Under-16s, he was promoted to the Under-19 team at the start of the 2000–01 season, aged 15 years and 3 months, despite scoring only 52 runs at 10.40 at Under-16 level and still being eligible for that age group. The selectors’ decision did not result in increased productivity from Karthik; he scored 133 runs at 22.16 in seven innings with a top-score of 39, and was demoted back to the Under-16s in November, and responded immediately with 124 in his first innings against Karnataka
. He added two further fifties in the season, including a 99 against Kerala
. Karthik ended with 367 runs at 52.42 for the season.
Karthik regained his position in the Under-19 team at the start of the following season, which he opened with 150 against Goa
. After scoring 314 runs at 46.42 in eight matches, he was promoted to the Under-22 team and made 78 runs at 39.00 in five matches. Karthik was rewarded with selection for South Zone
, which represents the country’s south, in the Under-19 zonal competition. He was not a success with the bat, scoring 0, 1 and 2 in his 3 innings. In April 2002, Karthik was selected to play against the touring Australian Cricket Academy
, and scored 125 in the second of two matches.
At the start of the rest of the 2002–03 season, Karthik began to make an imposing case for senior selection. In his opening match of the season for the Tamil Nadu Under-19s, he scored 227 in his team’s 392/7 against Goa, and after making a duck in the first innings against Hyderabad
, he hit 126 not out
in the second innings. He then registered his third century in four innings, cracking 235 against Andhra Pradesh
. His form tapered off and he only made 111 runs in his next six innings, but was nevertheless called up to the senior team to make his first-class debut.
, playing as a wicket-keeper and batting at No. 8, where he scored 37. He batted throughout the round-robin phase in five matches, scoring 179 runs at an average of 35.80 with a top score of 88* against Uttar Pradesh
in his second match. This innings helped Tamil Nadu to avoid an outright defeat, hanging on for a draw with one wicket in hand. However his form tapered off after this match and he failed to pass 20 again during the season. He took 11 catches, but due to his repeated wicket-keeping errors, he was dropped for the final matches.
After being dropped from the senior state team, Karthik was overlooked for the selection in the zonal Duleep Trophy
, and played in the Under-19s for South Zone. He had a more productive time in his second zonal season, scoring 180 runs at 60.00 with three half-centuries. He was rewarded with selection in the national Under-19 team, and played in three youth one day internationals (ODIs) against Nepal
. He made only 51 runs at 17.00 without taking a catch, but India won all their matches with ease.
Karthik attended a wicket-keeping camp in the off-season under the guidance of former Indian glove-man and chairman of selectors Kiran More
, which he credited for improving his technique. After playing for a period in the Chennai League, he returned to the Under-22 team at the start of the season, before being selected for India Emerging Players to play their youthful counterparts from Sri Lanka and Pakistan in late-September. He made 50 runs at 16.66 and took nine catches in three limited overs matches, and then made 35, 7 and 77 for the national Under-19s in some ODIs against the other Asian countries.
After these performances, Karthik was recalled to the Ranji Trophy
team at the start of the 2003–04 season. This time, he accumulated 438 runs with an average of 43.80, with two centuries, and took twenty catches. After opening the batting for much of the round-robin phase, and struggling with only 159 runs at 19.87 in four matches, Karthik then played in the zonal Under-19 one-dayers, managing only 28 runs in four innings. Karthik returned to the middle-order for the semi-final against Railways
, scoring his maiden first-class century of 122 to help his team take a first innings lead. He followed this with 48 in the second innings, to help Tamil Nadu progress to the final on the basis of the first innings after Railways held on for a draw still more than 300 runs short of their target. He followed this with an unbeaten 109 in the final against Mumbai
. His innings was the mainstay of Tamil Nadu’s 294, but Mumbai made 613 to take a first innings lead. Tamil Nadu made 4/393 in the second innings with Karthik not batting, but the first innings lead in the drawn match gave Mumbai the title. Karthik ended with three catches in the innings. However these performances were insufficient to gain regional representation, and he was overlooked for South Zone
's matches in the Duleep Trophy
.
Karthik was selected in the India squad for the 2004 U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh
, where he scored 70 runs from 39 balls against Sri Lanka. This helped set up a 56-run win and propelled India into the semi-final, where they were knocked out by Pakistan. Karthik made only seven as India were skittled for 169. He ended the tournament with 163 runs at 32.60.
He then scored two half centuries on an India A tour to Zimbabwe
, making 96 and 52 against Zimbabwe Select XI.
in August 2004 for the ODI team, after the selectors decided to cease using Rahul Dravid
as a makeshift wicket-keeper and also due to the poor form of alternative wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel
. He played in only one match against England at Lord's
, where he got out after scoring one run. Despite dropping England captain Michael Vaughan
from the bowling of Anil Kumble
, he eventually stumped
Vaughan down the legside and took another catch. He played another match in the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy
against Kenya
, taking three catches as India persisted with Dravid's wicket-keeping for the majority of the English tour. Karthik was not required to bat as India only lost four wickets in their innings. He was subsequently replaced in the ODI team by Mahendra Singh Dhoni
, who took over the gloves from Dravid on a full-time basis; Karthik did not play another ODI until April 2006.
Karthik made his Test
debut in the 4th Test between Australia
and India in Mumbai
, when Parthiv Patel
was dropped following a poor run of form with the gloves. He only managed 14 in two innings and two catches, but was praised for his wicket-keeping on a pitch with variable bounce and spin in which 40 wickets fell in two days’ playing time. Karthik tasted victory immediately as India scraped home by 13 runs.
Karthik was retained for India’s next engagement, a two-Test home series against South Africa. In a high-scoring draw in which both teams passed 450 in the first innings, Karthik managed only a solitary run in the First Test in Kanpur. In the Second Test in Calcutta, he scored 46 to help extend India’s first innings lead to 106 runs, as the hosts completed an eight-wicket win.
Karthik had a chance to score heavily in India’s two-Test tour of Bangladesh in December 2004. Against a team that had never won a Test, India encountered little difficulty in sweeping the series, winning both matches by an innings. They passed 500 in both matches, but Karthik was unable to able to join the high-scoring, managing only 25 and 11.
Karthik returned to domestic cricket at the conclusion of the Tests while his colleagues played in the ODIs, and played in two Ranji Trophy matches for Tamil Nadu, scoring only 100 runs at 25.00 in four innings. In January 2005, a series of one-day domestic tournaments were held, and Karthik had a chance to press his claims for selection in that format, having never played more than three List A matches in a sequence. In five matches for Tamil Nadu, he only had three innings, but scored 72 and 80 in two of them. He was then called into South Zone’s senior team for the first time, to play in the zonal one-day competition. He scored 106 runs at 26.50 in four outings for the southerners. In the Challenger Trophy, Karthik played for India A against India B and India Seniors, and made little impact, scoring 17 and 3. He then played for South Zone in the first-class Duleep Trophy
, but continued to have modest returns with the bat, scoring 101 runs at 25.25 in two outings, although he was run out in one innings after making a start and reaching 59.
Despite these lean performances, Karthik was retained for the three-Test series at home to Pakistan in March. In a high-scoring draw in the First Test in Mohali, Karthik made only six as India amassed 516. Karthik then put on his best Test batting performance to this point, at Eden Gardens
, Kolkata
against Pakistan. India batted first and Karthik made a start and reached 28, before being run out. India made 407 and Pakistan almost broke even, replying with 393. In the second innings, Karthik scored, combining with Rahul Dravid
in a 166-run partnership to set up a target of 422. This proved too much for the tourists on the deteriorating pitch and India won the match by 196 runs. In the next match, he made only 10 and 9 as India collapsed and lost ten wickets on the final day of an otherwise high-scoring match—1280 runs had been scored for only 22 wickets in the first three innings.
Karthik was not selected for the ODIs against Pakistan and returned to action in one-dayers for Tamil Nadu in the meantime, but managed only 59 runs at 19.66 in three matches. In contrast, Dhoni scored 148 in an ODI against Pakistan and kept his position as the ODI gloveman safe. Despite Dhoni’s heavy run-scoring in the ODIs, the selectors continued to persist with Karthik for the Tests in the face of his low scoring at both domestic and international level in the preceding 12 months. Karthik started the tour of Zimbabwe with 40 in a warm-up match against the Zimbabwe Board XI. The hosts, depleted due to political purges conducted by their government, were no match for India and lost by an innings and ten wickets respectively. India scored heavily against their weakened opponents, amassing 554 and 366 in their completed innings, but Karthik failed on both occasions, twice making a single.
Karthik returned to India and made 26 and 11 in the Challenger Trophy for India A, which was not enough for him to force his way into India’s squad for the home ODIs against Sri Lanka and South Africa. In the meantime, he played in the Duleep Trophy and had the chance to make his case for Test retention. However, he scored only 106 runs at 26.50 in two matches and South Zone lost both of these and were eliminated, and Karthik spent the next month on the sidelines.
When the team for the three Tests at home to Sri Lanka was announced, Karthik was dropped in place of Dhoni. In ten Tests since his debut, Karthik had managed only 245 runs at an average of 18.84 with only one half-century and one other score beyond 25. In contrast, Dhoni's had been a prolific run-scorer in ODIs, and had won the man of the series award against Sri Lanka and scored 183 not out in one match.
Karthik continued to play for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy, but only scored 30 in his first four innings of the season. This dropped him down the pecking order as Patel was favoured as the reserve wicket-keeper on the 2006 tour to Pakistan. Immediately after the announcement, Karthik scored 134 against Mumbai
in a losing effort, but was unable to back up with any scores beyond 50 in his five remaining innings in the competition.
Karthik then had mixed results in the domestic one-day competitions. He scored only one half-century in six matches for Tamil Nadu, a 79, and one further fifty in three matches for South Zone, ending with a total of 209 runs at 23.22.
. He was not required to bat as India cruised to a seven-wicket victory.
He was then reinstated as the reserve wicketkeeper for the tour to the West Indies. after a campaign for India A during April in which he scored 134 runs at 33.50, including a man-of-the-match 75 runs against UAE
on a tour to the gulf country. However, Karthik had little to do on his Caribbean sojourn, playing in only one non-first-class tour match ahead of the Tests.
At the start of the 2006–07 season, Karthik scored 11 and 85 for India Red in the Challenger Trophy. He then played in two Duleep Trophy matches for South Zone, scoring 95 in the latter against Sri Lanka A.
Karthik was given more opportunities at international level in late-2006 during the ODI tour of South Africa, after Yuvraj Singh
was sidelined with a knee injury, and Karthik was given a spot purely as a batsman following the poor form of Suresh Raina and Mohammad Kaif. Karthik had opened the batting for Tamil Nadu in the previous season in the Ranji Trophy, as well as for South Zone in the Duleep Trophy. Playing in three of the ODIs, Karthik himself struggled, with 42 runs at an average of 14.00, and a top score of 17 as South Africa took a 5–0 whitewash. With India's batsmen struggling, Raina and Kaif were dropped altogether from the Test squad, as Karthik was selected as a back-up wicket-keeper and middle order batsmen in the Test team for the first time in a year. He then scored an unbeaten 31 to steer India to a six-wicket win in the Twenty20 International against South Africa with one ball to spare. After Dhoni suffered from a finger injury, Karthik replaced him for the Third Test at Newlands
against South Africa, playing in his first Test in over a year. With regular opener Virender Sehwag
suffering from a loss of form, Karthik opened the innings with Wasim Jaffer
, allowing Sehwag to bat in the middle order. He used his domestic experience to score 63 in the first innings, combining in a century opening stand, helping India to 414, enough for a first innings lead of 41. In the second innings, he scored an unbeaten 38, as the team suffered a batting collapse and were all out for 169, allowing the hosts to take the series 2–1 by five wickets. In addition to his batting, his wicket-keeping was praised and brought former South African fast bowler Allan Donald
to predict further success in the future.
Karthik then featured in the four-match ODI series against West Indies, and after not batting in the victory in the first match, he top-scored with 63 as a specialist batsman when India recovered from 35/3 to post 189 on a slow wicket at the Barabati Stadium
in Cuttack
. India went on to win by 20 runs, giving Karthik his first man of the match award. He was rewarded with continued selection for the subsequent series against Sri Lanka
and the 2007 Cricket World Cup
. However, Karthik faltered in the series against Sri Lanka, managing only 31, 4 not out and 1, leaving his position in jeopardy. In two warm-up matches in the West Indies before the start of the World Cup, Karthik scored 3 and 38 not out against The Netherlands and the West Indies.
Karthik did not play a match at the World Cup, and following India's unexpected exit from the first round, a group of players was dropped from the squad, including Sehwag. As a result, Karthik was selected as a specialist opener for the tour of Bangladesh, scoring 56 and 22 in the drawn First Test in Chittagong
before scoring his maiden Test century in the Second Test in Dhaka, compiling 129 runs and featuring in a century opening stand as India took an innings victory. He completed his tour with 58* and six in the ODI series, playing in the middle order as India won both matches.
Prior to their tour of England, India played a series of ODIs in Ireland, against the hosts and South Africa. Karthik played in four matches, scoring 15 runs at 51.00 and keeping wicket in two of the matches.
Karthik established himself as a regular opener in the mid-2007 Test series in England. After scoring 76 and 51 in the two tour matches ahead of the Tests, he recorded a half century in each of the three Tests, regularly helping India to make solid starts. In the First Test at Lord’s, Karthik made 60 in the second innings before India fell to 9/282 in pursuit of 380 when rain ended the match early. In the Second Test at Trent Bridge
, Karthik scored 77, helping to lay a top-order platform for India’s first innings of 481, which gave them a 283-run lead. He then scored 22 as they reached their target of 73 to take a winning series lead. In the Third Test at The Oval
, Karthik scored 91 as India batted first and helped to lay the foundation for their total of 664 and a first-innings lead. This was enough to secure a 319-run first innings lead, and although India were unable to finish England off, it was enough to secure a 1–0 series win. With a total of 263 runs at 43.83, he was the highest scorer in the series for India, as the tourists won their first series in England for 21 years. He started the ODI series with an unbeaten 44 in the first ODI as India capitulated to 184 all out and a 104-run defeat, but thereafter had four consecutive innings where he failed to score more than four runs, and he was dropped for the final two matches.
Karthik was selected for the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa in September 2007, and played in India's earlier matches, scoring 11, 17, and a duck, before being dropped from the semi-final and final in favour of Rohit Sharma
. India went on to win after starting the tournament as outsiders. Karthik kept his place in the Indian squad for the home ODI series against Australia but was on the outer after his decline in form in England, and played in only the final match in Mumbai
, making a duck as India scraped home by two wickets.
After struggling in recent months in the limited overs format, Karthik bounced back during the Challenger Trophy at the start of the Indian domestic season. Playing for India Blue, he made a duck in the first match, but then made 65 against India Green and an unbeaten 116 in the final to guide his team through a successful run-chase against India Red. He then rounded off his preparation for the next Test series with consecutive fifties for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy.
Karthik had a lean Test series against Pakistan at home in late-2008. In the first two Tests, he managed only 39 in two innings, passing single figures only once. In the Third Test in Bangalore, Sachin Tendulkar
was injured, and his replacement Yuvraj scored 170. Karthik, batting down the order with Gautam Gambhir
taking his opening position, scored 24 and 52 in a high-scoring draw and kept wickets because of Dhoni's absence with injury. In the first innings, Karthik was behind the stumps as India set a world record for the most extras conceded in a Test innings. The 35 byes that were leaked were the second highest amount in Test history. India won the First Test and the other matches were drawn.
Karthik was retained for the Test tour of Australia as an opener, while Gambhir was ruled out after suffering an injury. However, he did not play in the first two Tests, because Dravid was elevated into his opening position so that both Tendulkar and Yuvraj could bat in the middle order. When Dravid and Yuvraj both struggled in their new positions, Dravid was moved back to his No. 3 position and Yuvraj dropped for the Third Test of the series, but instead, it was Sehwag—who had earned a late call-up as the reserve opener after Gambhir succumbed to injury—and not Karthik who was recalled. During the Test leg of the tour, Karthik played in only one non-first-class match against an Australian Capital Territory Invitation XI, scoring 25 and 97. Karthik was selected for the limited overs component of the Australian tour, but did not play in any of the ten ODIs. This meant that in almost three months on tour, Karthik only played in a two-day match and a Twenty20 match against Australia, in which he scored eight runs.
as the wicket-keeper for the Delhi Daredevils
, scoring 145 runs at 24.16 with a strike rate of 135.51. His highest score was an unbeaten 56 to steer Delhi to a five-wicket win in a group match over the Mumbai Indians
. In a match against the Deccan Chargers
, team-mate Amit Mishra
took a hat-trick, and when the new batsman came in, he charged out of his ground and missed, only for Karthik to miss the opportunity for the stumping and double hat-trick.
He was recalled to the Test team as a wicket-keeper for the July 2008 tour of Sri Lanka after Dhoni chose to take a break from cricket, citing the need to rest. Karthik played in the first two Tests, but struggled with the bat in the middle-order, scoring 36 runs at 9.00, falling all four times to the spinners Muttiah Muralitharan
and Ajantha Mendis
. He also dropped frequent catches and he was replaced for the Third Test by Patel.
Following the loss of his place in the Indian team, Karthik returned home and played for India A in a series of one-dayers against their counterparts from Australia and New Zealand, and then for India Blue in the Challenger Trophy. He had an unsuccessful campaign, accumulating only 70 runs at 11.66.
He then had a strong domestic first-class season in 2008–09. After starting the Ranji Trophy campaign with two single-figure scores, he scored 213, featuring in a 213-run partnership with Subramaniam Badrinath
as Tamil Nadu defeated Uttar Pradesh
by an innings. Karthik then scored 123 and 113 in consecutive matches against Baroda
and Railways
before ending his Ranji Torphy campaign with 72 against Uttar Pradesh in the return match. He then continued his strong run against Central Zone
in the Duleep Trophy
, scoring 153 and 103 in one match. Karthik ended with 1026 runs at 64.12 for the season, including five centuries and two fifties.
He then scored an unbeaten 117 against Kerala in the one-day tournament and was selected for the tour of New Zealand
as the reserve wicket-keeper. After watching the entire T20 and ODI series from the sidelines, he played in the Second Test after Dhoni was injured, but he was criticised for dropping multiple catches as the hosts amassed 9/619 and made only six in his only innings.
In the 2009 Indian Premier League
held in South Africa, Karthik played in each of Delhi's 15 matches, scoring 288 runs at 36.00, passing 40 on three occasions and making 17 dismissals. Delhi topped the pool stage of the tournament, but Karthik made only nine in the semi-final as Delhi were defeated by six wickets by the Deccan Chargers
.
He got a chance again in India's four match tour of West Indies where he replaced opener Sehwag, who was out with a shoulder injury. He scored 67, 4 and 47 as a opener which could help him claim a berth for the future, as India took the series 2–1.
With Sehwag still injured, he was retained for a short triangular ODI tournament in Sri Lanka in September. He scored 4 and 16 in India's two round robin matches and was dropped for the final, in which India triumphed over the hosts. Karthik was retained for the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa, but after his performances in Sri Lanka, was omitted for the first two matches. He was given an opportunity in India's final pool match against the West Indies and scored 34 in a seven-wicket win, but it was not enough to prevent India's first round exit.
Sehwag and Yuvraj recovered in time for the home ODI series against Australia, so Karthik returned to domestic duty at the start of the 2009–10 season. He played in Delhi's four matches in the 2009 Twenty20 Champions League, scoring 92 runs at 23.00, including a top-score of 61 against Sri Lanka's Wayamba
. Delhi were knocked out in the Super 8 stage. Karthik played in six Ranji Trophy matches for Tamil Nadu as captain, and he had an uneven run of scoring with the bat. He scored 152 against Orissa and 117 against Punjab, and added a further two scores of at least 70, but managed only 16 runs in his four other innings. Karthik ended the season with 443 runs at 55.37. He also resorted to bowling himself twice, when matches were proceeding towards a draw, with no success; he delivered 14 overs and conceded 97 runs in all. However, Karthik was not to lead Tamil Nadu into the knockout stages of the competition.
In December 2009, Karthik was recalled to the ODI team during the Sri Lankan tour of India after Dhoni was banned after the second match for two matches because of slow over rates. Karthik kept wickets in the next two matches, scoring 32 and 19 and remaining unbeaten in both instances, helping to guide India to the target in successful runchases. He retained his place as a middle-order batsman in the fifth and final match when Dhoni returned after Tendulkar was rested and Yuvraj injured, but the match was ended prematurely due to an unsafe pitch.
Karthik retained his place for the ODI tri-series in Bangladesh against the hosts and Sri Lanka after Tendulkar was rested for the tournament. Karthik played as an opener along Gambhir in the last two of the round-robin matches after Sehwag was rested. Karthik made 48 and 34 in quick time as India won both matches but was dropped for the final, which was lost.
Karthik then played in the First Test at Chittagong after Dhoni was forced to withdraw due to injury. He made a duck in the first innings as India stumbled to 243 on the first day. He then made 27, falling in pursuit of quick runs for a declaration after India recovered in the second innings. India went on to win the match, and Karthik watched the next match from the sidelines after Dhoni recovered and steered India to a clean sweep.
Karthik was then displaced as the reserve gloveman for the two-Test home series against South Africa; Wriddhiman Saha
was called up to be Dhoni's deputy. Karthik scored 183 and 150 in the Duleep Trophy final against West Zone, becoming the third player after Lalchand Rajput
and Yuvraj Singh
to score centuries in both innings of a Duleep Trophy final. However, it was not enough as Yusuf Pathan
scored an unbeaten 210 from only 190 balls to set a new world record for a successful run-chase.
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
: கிருஷ்ணகுமார் தினேஷ் கார்த்திக் ) (born 1 June 1985) is a wicketkeeper-batsman who has made his debut for the Indian cricket team
Indian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
in 2004 and has been a regular member of the team for varying periods since then, including a stint in 2007 as a specialist opening batsman and non-wicket-keeper. Karthik was a batsman in his junior career, but turned to wicket-keeping in order to improve his future prospects. Throughout his career, Karthik has been criticized for unreliable glove-work symptomatic of a non-specialist wicket-keeper.
Rising through the junior ranks, Karthik made his first-class debut in late-2002 for Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu cricket team
The Tamil Nadu Cricket Team ; , competes in the Super League of the Ranji Trophy, the top cricketing competition in India. The team finished as runners-up behind Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy in the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons establishing themselves as one of the strongest teams in the country...
as a 17-year-old, and was dropped in his first season despite his healthy run-scoring because of his problematic glovework. He fought his way back into the team and after playing for India at the 2004 Under-19 World Cup, made his ODI and Test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
debut in late-2004. This came after India had struggled to find a reliable glove-work in the past few years.
Karthik was the regular wicket-keeper in Tests, making rare appearances in ODIs. During this period, Karthik struggled and averaged less than 20 with the bat, and he was replaced as Test wicketkeeper by Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is an Indian cricketer and the current captain of the Indian national cricket team. He made his One Day International debut in December 2004 against Bangladesh, and a year later played his first Test, this time against Sri Lanka.Under his captaincy, India won the 2007 ICC...
, who had been prolific and destructive with the bat in ODIs, in late-2005. After donning the mantle of an opener for Tamil Nadu and raising himself to the standard of a specialist batsman at domestic level, he was recalled to the national squad as a batsman in late-2006 after injuries and form slumps hit other batsmen, playing occasional matches in both forms of cricket on the tour to South Africa, and scoring a helf-century in a Test as an opener. Following India's elimination from the first round of the 2007 Cricket World Cup
2007 Cricket World Cup
The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...
, the selectors made multiple changes, and Karthik became a non-wicket-keeping opening batsman in the Test team and regularly played ODIs, batting in the middle order.
He made his maiden Test century against Bangladesh and then was India's leading scorer in the Test tour of England, helping India to win their first series in England in 21 years. However, Karthik suffered a form slump in late-2007 and was dropped from the Test team, and since then has only made sporadic international appearances, although he continues to score heavily in domestic cricket. These have come in occasional appearances as a specialist batsman when other players were rested or injured, or as a wicket-keeper when Dhoni was sidelined. Karthik's glove-work for India continues to be criticized.
Early years
Karthik began playing cricket at the age of ten, after a two year stint living in KuwaitKuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, where his father Krishna Kumar worked. Karthik was taught by his father, a first-division cricketer from Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
. Disappointed that his own career was hindered when he was forced by his family to put his education first, Karthik's father did not want his son to suffer the same way, and trained him hard from an early age. Karthik honed his reflexes at this young age by having his father throw hard leather balls at him at high speed. Initially he played in the youth teams for Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu cricket team
The Tamil Nadu Cricket Team ; , competes in the Super League of the Ranji Trophy, the top cricketing competition in India. The team finished as runners-up behind Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy in the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons establishing themselves as one of the strongest teams in the country...
as a batsman who was learning to keep wicket, and was regarded by Robin Singh
Robin Singh
Robin Singh , full name Rabindra Ramanarayan Singh is a former all-rounder who played for India. He is currently the coach of Mumbai Indians...
as having very high levels of fitness.
Karthik steadily ascended the youth ranks. He made his debut for Tamil Nadu Under-14s in early-1999, and after scoring 78 and 26 in his two interstate matches, was promoted to the Under-16 team in November, still less than 14 and half years old. After spending the entire 1999–2000 season in the Under-16s, he was promoted to the Under-19 team at the start of the 2000–01 season, aged 15 years and 3 months, despite scoring only 52 runs at 10.40 at Under-16 level and still being eligible for that age group. The selectors’ decision did not result in increased productivity from Karthik; he scored 133 runs at 22.16 in seven innings with a top-score of 39, and was demoted back to the Under-16s in November, and responded immediately with 124 in his first innings against Karnataka
Karnataka cricket team
Karnataka cricket team is a cricket team that represents the Indian state of Karnataka in domestic first class cricket. One of the strongest teams in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group, it has produced many of the Indian cricket team's leading players throughout its existence...
. He added two further fifties in the season, including a 99 against Kerala
Kerala cricket team
The Kerala cricket team is a domestic cricket team based in the Indian state of Kerala. It is in the Plate Group of the Ranji Trophy, the premier first class cricket tournament in India. Kerala has produced two Indian test cricketers, Tinu Yohannan and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth...
. Karthik ended with 367 runs at 52.42 for the season.
Karthik regained his position in the Under-19 team at the start of the following season, which he opened with 150 against Goa
Goa cricket team
The Goa cricket team has never been an overly strong team in the Ranji Trophy. Confined to the plate group, Goa bottomed the table in 2005/06 by not achieving a win in their 5 matches, losing 3 matches. In 2006/07 they again finished bottom of the plate group without a win this time losing 4...
. After scoring 314 runs at 46.42 in eight matches, he was promoted to the Under-22 team and made 78 runs at 39.00 in five matches. Karthik was rewarded with selection for South Zone
South Zone cricket team
The South Zone cricket team is a first-class cricket team that represents southern India in the Duleep Trophy. It is a composite team of players from six first-class Indian teams from southern India competing in the Ranji Trophy: Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Hyderabad, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu...
, which represents the country’s south, in the Under-19 zonal competition. He was not a success with the bat, scoring 0, 1 and 2 in his 3 innings. In April 2002, Karthik was selected to play against the touring Australian Cricket Academy
Australian Cricket Academy
The Australian Cricket Academy, originally located at Henley Beach in Adelaide, was formed in 1987 as a joint initiative of the Australian Institute of Sport and the Australian Cricket Board . It was designed to be a finishing school for leading young cricketers and is a program within the AIS...
, and scored 125 in the second of two matches.
At the start of the rest of the 2002–03 season, Karthik began to make an imposing case for senior selection. In his opening match of the season for the Tamil Nadu Under-19s, he scored 227 in his team’s 392/7 against Goa, and after making a duck in the first innings against Hyderabad
Hyderabad cricket team
The Hyderabad cricket team is a domestic cricket team based in the city of Hyderabad. It is part of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group and has seen scattered success over its many years in the Ranji Trophy circuit. It falls into the South Zone in the Duleep Trophy and is one of two teams from Andhra...
, he hit 126 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
in the second innings. He then registered his third century in four innings, cracking 235 against Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh cricket team
The Andhra cricket team is an Indian domestic cricket team representing the coastal areas of the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is, one of two teams representing the people of Andhra Pradesh, the other team being the Hyderabad cricket team, which represents the Talangana Telangana.It has...
. His form tapered off and he only made 111 runs in his next six innings, but was nevertheless called up to the senior team to make his first-class debut.
First-class beginnings
Karthik made his debut at the first-class level in late-2002 against BarodaBaroda cricket team
The Baroda cricket team is a domestic cricket team based in the city of Vadodara. The home ground of the team is the Moti Bagh Stadium on the palace grounds. The team is run by the Baroda Cricket Association. It has been one of the most successful teams in the Ranji Trophy in the new millennium...
, playing as a wicket-keeper and batting at No. 8, where he scored 37. He batted throughout the round-robin phase in five matches, scoring 179 runs at an average of 35.80 with a top score of 88* against Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh cricket team
The Uttar Pradesh cricket team is a cricket team which is based in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The team competes in the Ranji Trophy and won the tournament in 2005-06. They have only won 1 Ranji Trophy and have been runner-up twice. Young talents such as Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina, Piyush...
in his second match. This innings helped Tamil Nadu to avoid an outright defeat, hanging on for a draw with one wicket in hand. However his form tapered off after this match and he failed to pass 20 again during the season. He took 11 catches, but due to his repeated wicket-keeping errors, he was dropped for the final matches.
After being dropped from the senior state team, Karthik was overlooked for the selection in the zonal Duleep Trophy
Duleep Trophy
The Duleep Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket competition played in India between teams representing geographical zones of India. The competition is named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji .-History:...
, and played in the Under-19s for South Zone. He had a more productive time in his second zonal season, scoring 180 runs at 60.00 with three half-centuries. He was rewarded with selection in the national Under-19 team, and played in three youth one day internationals (ODIs) against Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. He made only 51 runs at 17.00 without taking a catch, but India won all their matches with ease.
Karthik attended a wicket-keeping camp in the off-season under the guidance of former Indian glove-man and chairman of selectors Kiran More
Kiran More
Kiran Shankar Murat More was the wicket-keeper for the Indian cricket team from 1984 to 1993. He was the Chairman of the Selection Committee of the BCCI till Dilip Vengsarkar took over the job in 2006. He is presently working with Indian Cricket League.-Early career:More played for the India...
, which he credited for improving his technique. After playing for a period in the Chennai League, he returned to the Under-22 team at the start of the season, before being selected for India Emerging Players to play their youthful counterparts from Sri Lanka and Pakistan in late-September. He made 50 runs at 16.66 and took nine catches in three limited overs matches, and then made 35, 7 and 77 for the national Under-19s in some ODIs against the other Asian countries.
After these performances, Karthik was recalled to the Ranji Trophy
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between different city and state sides, equivalent to the County Championship in England and the Sheffield Shield in Australia...
team at the start of the 2003–04 season. This time, he accumulated 438 runs with an average of 43.80, with two centuries, and took twenty catches. After opening the batting for much of the round-robin phase, and struggling with only 159 runs at 19.87 in four matches, Karthik then played in the zonal Under-19 one-dayers, managing only 28 runs in four innings. Karthik returned to the middle-order for the semi-final against Railways
Railways cricket team
The Railways Cricket Team has been very successful in the Ranji Trophy in recent years, although much of their history has been spent in unsuccessful endeavours to win the tournament.-Competition History:...
, scoring his maiden first-class century of 122 to help his team take a first innings lead. He followed this with 48 in the second innings, to help Tamil Nadu progress to the final on the basis of the first innings after Railways held on for a draw still more than 300 runs short of their target. He followed this with an unbeaten 109 in the final against Mumbai
Mumbai cricket team
The Mumbai cricket team is a cricket team representing the city of Mumbai in Indian domestic cricket. It is the most successful team in the Ranji Trophy, India's top domestic cricket competition, with 39 titles, the most recent being in 2009–10. The team's home ground is the Wankhede Stadium in...
. His innings was the mainstay of Tamil Nadu’s 294, but Mumbai made 613 to take a first innings lead. Tamil Nadu made 4/393 in the second innings with Karthik not batting, but the first innings lead in the drawn match gave Mumbai the title. Karthik ended with three catches in the innings. However these performances were insufficient to gain regional representation, and he was overlooked for South Zone
South Zone cricket team
The South Zone cricket team is a first-class cricket team that represents southern India in the Duleep Trophy. It is a composite team of players from six first-class Indian teams from southern India competing in the Ranji Trophy: Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Hyderabad, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu...
's matches in the Duleep Trophy
Duleep Trophy
The Duleep Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket competition played in India between teams representing geographical zones of India. The competition is named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji .-History:...
.
Karthik was selected in the India squad for the 2004 U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, where he scored 70 runs from 39 balls against Sri Lanka. This helped set up a 56-run win and propelled India into the semi-final, where they were knocked out by Pakistan. Karthik made only seven as India were skittled for 169. He ended the tournament with 163 runs at 32.60.
He then scored two half centuries on an India A tour to Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, making 96 and 52 against Zimbabwe Select XI.
Early international career
Karthik was selected for his first Indian squadIndian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
in August 2004 for the ODI team, after the selectors decided to cease using Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid
Rahul Sharad Dravid , is a cricketer in the Indian national team, of which he has been a regular member since 1996. He was appointed as the captain of the Indian cricket team in October 2005 and resigned from the post in September 2007. Dravid was honoured as one of the top-five Wisden Cricketers...
as a makeshift wicket-keeper and also due to the poor form of alternative wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel
Parthiv Patel
Parthiv Ajay Patel is an Indian cricketer, wicketkeeper-batsman, and a member of the Indian national cricket team. He is a left-handed batsman. He got married in 2008 to Avni Zaveri.- ODI career :...
. He played in only one match against England at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
, where he got out after scoring one run. Despite dropping England captain Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan
Michael Paul Vaughan OBE is a retired cricketer who represented Yorkshire and England. A classically elegant right-handed batsman and occasional off-spinner, Vaughan was ranked one of the best batsmen in the world following the 2002/3 Ashes, in which he scored 633 runs, including three centuries...
from the bowling of Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble is a former Indian cricketer and captain of the Indian Test cricket team. He is a right-arm leg spin bowler and a right-hand batsman. He is currently the leading wicket-taker for India in both Test and One Day International matches...
, he eventually stumped
Stump (cricket)
Stump is a term used in the sport of cricket where it has three different meanings:# part of the wicket# a manner of dismissing a batsman# the end of the day's play .-Part of the wicket:...
Vaughan down the legside and took another catch. He played another match in the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy
2004 ICC Champions Trophy
The 2004 ICC Champions Trophy was held in England in September 2004. Twelve teams, including the Test nations, together with Kenya, and – making their One Day International debut – the USA, competed in fifteen matches spread over sixteen days at three venues Edgbaston, The Rose Bowl and The...
against Kenya
Kenyan cricket team
The Kenya national cricket team is the team that represents the country of Kenya in international cricket matches. They are considered one of the strongest of the associate member nations of the International Cricket Council, especially since reaching the semi-final of the 2003 Cricket World Cup...
, taking three catches as India persisted with Dravid's wicket-keeping for the majority of the English tour. Karthik was not required to bat as India only lost four wickets in their innings. He was subsequently replaced in the ODI team by Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is an Indian cricketer and the current captain of the Indian national cricket team. He made his One Day International debut in December 2004 against Bangladesh, and a year later played his first Test, this time against Sri Lanka.Under his captaincy, India won the 2007 ICC...
, who took over the gloves from Dravid on a full-time basis; Karthik did not play another ODI until April 2006.
Karthik made his Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
debut in the 4th Test between Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
and India in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, when Parthiv Patel
Parthiv Patel
Parthiv Ajay Patel is an Indian cricketer, wicketkeeper-batsman, and a member of the Indian national cricket team. He is a left-handed batsman. He got married in 2008 to Avni Zaveri.- ODI career :...
was dropped following a poor run of form with the gloves. He only managed 14 in two innings and two catches, but was praised for his wicket-keeping on a pitch with variable bounce and spin in which 40 wickets fell in two days’ playing time. Karthik tasted victory immediately as India scraped home by 13 runs.
Karthik was retained for India’s next engagement, a two-Test home series against South Africa. In a high-scoring draw in which both teams passed 450 in the first innings, Karthik managed only a solitary run in the First Test in Kanpur. In the Second Test in Calcutta, he scored 46 to help extend India’s first innings lead to 106 runs, as the hosts completed an eight-wicket win.
Karthik had a chance to score heavily in India’s two-Test tour of Bangladesh in December 2004. Against a team that had never won a Test, India encountered little difficulty in sweeping the series, winning both matches by an innings. They passed 500 in both matches, but Karthik was unable to able to join the high-scoring, managing only 25 and 11.
Karthik returned to domestic cricket at the conclusion of the Tests while his colleagues played in the ODIs, and played in two Ranji Trophy matches for Tamil Nadu, scoring only 100 runs at 25.00 in four innings. In January 2005, a series of one-day domestic tournaments were held, and Karthik had a chance to press his claims for selection in that format, having never played more than three List A matches in a sequence. In five matches for Tamil Nadu, he only had three innings, but scored 72 and 80 in two of them. He was then called into South Zone’s senior team for the first time, to play in the zonal one-day competition. He scored 106 runs at 26.50 in four outings for the southerners. In the Challenger Trophy, Karthik played for India A against India B and India Seniors, and made little impact, scoring 17 and 3. He then played for South Zone in the first-class Duleep Trophy
Duleep Trophy
The Duleep Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket competition played in India between teams representing geographical zones of India. The competition is named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji .-History:...
, but continued to have modest returns with the bat, scoring 101 runs at 25.25 in two outings, although he was run out in one innings after making a start and reaching 59.
Despite these lean performances, Karthik was retained for the three-Test series at home to Pakistan in March. In a high-scoring draw in the First Test in Mohali, Karthik made only six as India amassed 516. Karthik then put on his best Test batting performance to this point, at Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens is a cricket ground in Kolkata , India. It is the home of the Bengal cricket team and the Indian Premier League's Kolkata Knight Riders, as well as being a Test and One Day International ground. It is the largest cricket stadium in India by seating capacity...
, Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
against Pakistan. India batted first and Karthik made a start and reached 28, before being run out. India made 407 and Pakistan almost broke even, replying with 393. In the second innings, Karthik scored, combining with Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid
Rahul Sharad Dravid , is a cricketer in the Indian national team, of which he has been a regular member since 1996. He was appointed as the captain of the Indian cricket team in October 2005 and resigned from the post in September 2007. Dravid was honoured as one of the top-five Wisden Cricketers...
in a 166-run partnership to set up a target of 422. This proved too much for the tourists on the deteriorating pitch and India won the match by 196 runs. In the next match, he made only 10 and 9 as India collapsed and lost ten wickets on the final day of an otherwise high-scoring match—1280 runs had been scored for only 22 wickets in the first three innings.
Karthik was not selected for the ODIs against Pakistan and returned to action in one-dayers for Tamil Nadu in the meantime, but managed only 59 runs at 19.66 in three matches. In contrast, Dhoni scored 148 in an ODI against Pakistan and kept his position as the ODI gloveman safe. Despite Dhoni’s heavy run-scoring in the ODIs, the selectors continued to persist with Karthik for the Tests in the face of his low scoring at both domestic and international level in the preceding 12 months. Karthik started the tour of Zimbabwe with 40 in a warm-up match against the Zimbabwe Board XI. The hosts, depleted due to political purges conducted by their government, were no match for India and lost by an innings and ten wickets respectively. India scored heavily against their weakened opponents, amassing 554 and 366 in their completed innings, but Karthik failed on both occasions, twice making a single.
Karthik returned to India and made 26 and 11 in the Challenger Trophy for India A, which was not enough for him to force his way into India’s squad for the home ODIs against Sri Lanka and South Africa. In the meantime, he played in the Duleep Trophy and had the chance to make his case for Test retention. However, he scored only 106 runs at 26.50 in two matches and South Zone lost both of these and were eliminated, and Karthik spent the next month on the sidelines.
When the team for the three Tests at home to Sri Lanka was announced, Karthik was dropped in place of Dhoni. In ten Tests since his debut, Karthik had managed only 245 runs at an average of 18.84 with only one half-century and one other score beyond 25. In contrast, Dhoni's had been a prolific run-scorer in ODIs, and had won the man of the series award against Sri Lanka and scored 183 not out in one match.
Karthik continued to play for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy, but only scored 30 in his first four innings of the season. This dropped him down the pecking order as Patel was favoured as the reserve wicket-keeper on the 2006 tour to Pakistan. Immediately after the announcement, Karthik scored 134 against Mumbai
Mumbai cricket team
The Mumbai cricket team is a cricket team representing the city of Mumbai in Indian domestic cricket. It is the most successful team in the Ranji Trophy, India's top domestic cricket competition, with 39 titles, the most recent being in 2009–10. The team's home ground is the Wankhede Stadium in...
in a losing effort, but was unable to back up with any scores beyond 50 in his five remaining innings in the competition.
Karthik then had mixed results in the domestic one-day competitions. He scored only one half-century in six matches for Tamil Nadu, a 79, and one further fifty in three matches for South Zone, ending with a total of 209 runs at 23.22.
International recall as a batsman
In April 2006, Karthik's career was revived when he was recalled to the ODI team by selectors to give Dhoni a rest in the final ODI against England in IndoreIndore
Indore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...
. He was not required to bat as India cruised to a seven-wicket victory.
He was then reinstated as the reserve wicketkeeper for the tour to the West Indies. after a campaign for India A during April in which he scored 134 runs at 33.50, including a man-of-the-match 75 runs against UAE
United Arab Emirates cricket team
The United Arab Emirates national cricket team is the team that represents the country of the United Arab Emirates in international cricket matches...
on a tour to the gulf country. However, Karthik had little to do on his Caribbean sojourn, playing in only one non-first-class tour match ahead of the Tests.
At the start of the 2006–07 season, Karthik scored 11 and 85 for India Red in the Challenger Trophy. He then played in two Duleep Trophy matches for South Zone, scoring 95 in the latter against Sri Lanka A.
Karthik was given more opportunities at international level in late-2006 during the ODI tour of South Africa, after Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh Bhandal is an Indian cricketer, and the son of former Indian fast bowler and Punjabi movie star Yograj Singh. He has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000 and played his first Test match in 2003. He was the vice captain of the ODI team from late-2007 to late-2008...
was sidelined with a knee injury, and Karthik was given a spot purely as a batsman following the poor form of Suresh Raina and Mohammad Kaif. Karthik had opened the batting for Tamil Nadu in the previous season in the Ranji Trophy, as well as for South Zone in the Duleep Trophy. Playing in three of the ODIs, Karthik himself struggled, with 42 runs at an average of 14.00, and a top score of 17 as South Africa took a 5–0 whitewash. With India's batsmen struggling, Raina and Kaif were dropped altogether from the Test squad, as Karthik was selected as a back-up wicket-keeper and middle order batsmen in the Test team for the first time in a year. He then scored an unbeaten 31 to steer India to a six-wicket win in the Twenty20 International against South Africa with one ball to spare. After Dhoni suffered from a finger injury, Karthik replaced him for the Third Test at Newlands
Newlands Cricket Ground
Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town is a South African cricket ground. It's the home of the Cape Cobras, who play in the SuperSport Series, MTN Domestic Championship and Standard Bank Pro20 competitions. It is also a venue for Test matches. Newlands is regarded as one of the most beautiful cricket...
against South Africa, playing in his first Test in over a year. With regular opener Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag , affectionately known as Viru, the Nawab of Najafgarh, or the Zen master of modern cricket, is one of the leading batsmen in the Indian cricket team. Sehwag is an aggressive right-handed opening batsman and a part-time right-arm off-spin bowler...
suffering from a loss of form, Karthik opened the innings with Wasim Jaffer
Wasim Jaffer
Wasim Jaffer is an Indian cricketer. He is a right-handed opening batsman and an occasional right arm off-break bowler.-Early years:...
, allowing Sehwag to bat in the middle order. He used his domestic experience to score 63 in the first innings, combining in a century opening stand, helping India to 414, enough for a first innings lead of 41. In the second innings, he scored an unbeaten 38, as the team suffered a batting collapse and were all out for 169, allowing the hosts to take the series 2–1 by five wickets. In addition to his batting, his wicket-keeping was praised and brought former South African fast bowler Allan Donald
Allan Donald
Allan Anthony Donald is a former South African cricketer and one of their most successful pace bowlers.In his prime, he was one of the best fast bowlers ever seen in Test cricket, reaching the top of the ICC Test rankings in 1998 and peaked with a top ICC ranking of 895 points the next year, the...
to predict further success in the future.
Karthik then featured in the four-match ODI series against West Indies, and after not batting in the victory in the first match, he top-scored with 63 as a specialist batsman when India recovered from 35/3 to post 189 on a slow wicket at the Barabati Stadium
Barabati Stadium
The Barabati Stadium is a cricket venue in the east Indian city of Cuttack, Orissa. It is home ground of Orissa cricket team and is operated by Orissa Cricket Association. The Barabati Stadium is one of the older grounds in India, having hosted several touring sides – including the MCC, the West...
in Cuttack
Cuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
. India went on to win by 20 runs, giving Karthik his first man of the match award. He was rewarded with continued selection for the subsequent series against Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team is the national cricket team of Sri Lanka. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test cricket playing nation...
and the 2007 Cricket World Cup
2007 Cricket World Cup
The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...
. However, Karthik faltered in the series against Sri Lanka, managing only 31, 4 not out and 1, leaving his position in jeopardy. In two warm-up matches in the West Indies before the start of the World Cup, Karthik scored 3 and 38 not out against The Netherlands and the West Indies.
Karthik did not play a match at the World Cup, and following India's unexpected exit from the first round, a group of players was dropped from the squad, including Sehwag. As a result, Karthik was selected as a specialist opener for the tour of Bangladesh, scoring 56 and 22 in the drawn First Test in Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
before scoring his maiden Test century in the Second Test in Dhaka, compiling 129 runs and featuring in a century opening stand as India took an innings victory. He completed his tour with 58* and six in the ODI series, playing in the middle order as India won both matches.
Prior to their tour of England, India played a series of ODIs in Ireland, against the hosts and South Africa. Karthik played in four matches, scoring 15 runs at 51.00 and keeping wicket in two of the matches.
Karthik established himself as a regular opener in the mid-2007 Test series in England. After scoring 76 and 51 in the two tour matches ahead of the Tests, he recorded a half century in each of the three Tests, regularly helping India to make solid starts. In the First Test at Lord’s, Karthik made 60 in the second innings before India fell to 9/282 in pursuit of 380 when rain ended the match early. In the Second Test at Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
, Karthik scored 77, helping to lay a top-order platform for India’s first innings of 481, which gave them a 283-run lead. He then scored 22 as they reached their target of 73 to take a winning series lead. In the Third Test at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
, Karthik scored 91 as India batted first and helped to lay the foundation for their total of 664 and a first-innings lead. This was enough to secure a 319-run first innings lead, and although India were unable to finish England off, it was enough to secure a 1–0 series win. With a total of 263 runs at 43.83, he was the highest scorer in the series for India, as the tourists won their first series in England for 21 years. He started the ODI series with an unbeaten 44 in the first ODI as India capitulated to 184 all out and a 104-run defeat, but thereafter had four consecutive innings where he failed to score more than four runs, and he was dropped for the final two matches.
Karthik was selected for the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa in September 2007, and played in India's earlier matches, scoring 11, 17, and a duck, before being dropped from the semi-final and final in favour of Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma
Rohit Gurunath Sharma[ Marathi : रोहित गुरुनाथ शर्मा Telugu: రోహిత్ గురునాథ్ శర్మ] is an Indian cricketer. Sharma is a right-handed middle-order batsman and occasional right-arm offbreak bowler. Having started his international playing career at the age of 20, Sharma quickly exhibited his...
. India went on to win after starting the tournament as outsiders. Karthik kept his place in the Indian squad for the home ODI series against Australia but was on the outer after his decline in form in England, and played in only the final match in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, making a duck as India scraped home by two wickets.
After struggling in recent months in the limited overs format, Karthik bounced back during the Challenger Trophy at the start of the Indian domestic season. Playing for India Blue, he made a duck in the first match, but then made 65 against India Green and an unbeaten 116 in the final to guide his team through a successful run-chase against India Red. He then rounded off his preparation for the next Test series with consecutive fifties for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy.
Karthik had a lean Test series against Pakistan at home in late-2008. In the first two Tests, he managed only 39 in two innings, passing single figures only once. In the Third Test in Bangalore, Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...
was injured, and his replacement Yuvraj scored 170. Karthik, batting down the order with Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir is an Indian cricketer, a batsman. He has been a member of the Indian national cricket team since 2003 and 2004...
taking his opening position, scored 24 and 52 in a high-scoring draw and kept wickets because of Dhoni's absence with injury. In the first innings, Karthik was behind the stumps as India set a world record for the most extras conceded in a Test innings. The 35 byes that were leaked were the second highest amount in Test history. India won the First Test and the other matches were drawn.
Karthik was retained for the Test tour of Australia as an opener, while Gambhir was ruled out after suffering an injury. However, he did not play in the first two Tests, because Dravid was elevated into his opening position so that both Tendulkar and Yuvraj could bat in the middle order. When Dravid and Yuvraj both struggled in their new positions, Dravid was moved back to his No. 3 position and Yuvraj dropped for the Third Test of the series, but instead, it was Sehwag—who had earned a late call-up as the reserve opener after Gambhir succumbed to injury—and not Karthik who was recalled. During the Test leg of the tour, Karthik played in only one non-first-class match against an Australian Capital Territory Invitation XI, scoring 25 and 97. Karthik was selected for the limited overs component of the Australian tour, but did not play in any of the ten ODIs. This meant that in almost three months on tour, Karthik only played in a two-day match and a Twenty20 match against Australia, in which he scored eight runs.
Back on the fringes
Upon his return to India, Karthik played in six one-dayers for Tamil Nadu and South Zone, reaching 40 twice in six innings. Karthik played in the 2008 Indian Premier League2008 Indian Premier League
The 2008 Indian Premier League season was the debut season of the Indian Premier League, established by the BCCI in 2007. The season commenced on the 18 April 2008 with the final match held on 1 June 2008....
as the wicket-keeper for the Delhi Daredevils
Delhi Daredevils
Delhi Daredevils is the Delhi franchise for the Indian Premier League in cricket. The franchise is owned by the GMR Group.-Franchise history:...
, scoring 145 runs at 24.16 with a strike rate of 135.51. His highest score was an unbeaten 56 to steer Delhi to a five-wicket win in a group match over the Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians , is a franchise cricket team representing Mumbai in the Indian Premier League. The team is one of the eight founding members of the IPL in 2008. Mumbai Indians are currently led by Sachin Tendulkar, who is the Icon Player for the team and is coached by Robin Singh...
. In a match against the Deccan Chargers
Deccan Chargers
Hyderabad Deccan Chargers known in short as DC or 'Chargers' is a cricket franchise that represents the city of Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League...
, team-mate Amit Mishra
Amit Mishra
Amit Mishra is an Indian cricketer. He is a right arm leg break bowler and right-handed lower order batsman. He usually bats number 10 or 11. Mishra is an attacking leg spinner who bowls leg break....
took a hat-trick, and when the new batsman came in, he charged out of his ground and missed, only for Karthik to miss the opportunity for the stumping and double hat-trick.
He was recalled to the Test team as a wicket-keeper for the July 2008 tour of Sri Lanka after Dhoni chose to take a break from cricket, citing the need to rest. Karthik played in the first two Tests, but struggled with the bat in the middle-order, scoring 36 runs at 9.00, falling all four times to the spinners Muttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan , often referred to as Murali, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who was rated the greatest Test match bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2002...
and Ajantha Mendis
Ajantha Mendis
Balapuwaduge Ajantha Winslo Mendis is a cricketer who plays for the Sri Lankan national cricket team.Mendis, although classified as slow-medium, bowls a mixture of deliveries, including googlies, off-breaks, top-spinners, flippers and leg-breaks, as well as the carrom ball, released with a flick...
. He also dropped frequent catches and he was replaced for the Third Test by Patel.
Following the loss of his place in the Indian team, Karthik returned home and played for India A in a series of one-dayers against their counterparts from Australia and New Zealand, and then for India Blue in the Challenger Trophy. He had an unsuccessful campaign, accumulating only 70 runs at 11.66.
He then had a strong domestic first-class season in 2008–09. After starting the Ranji Trophy campaign with two single-figure scores, he scored 213, featuring in a 213-run partnership with Subramaniam Badrinath
Subramaniam Badrinath
Subramaniam Badrinath is an Indian cricketer. He is a right-handed middle order batsman. Badrinath has represented India in One Day International matches. In first class cricket, he captains Tamil Nadu and in the Indian Premier League, he plays for Chennai Super Kings. He has also represented...
as Tamil Nadu defeated Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh cricket team
The Uttar Pradesh cricket team is a cricket team which is based in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The team competes in the Ranji Trophy and won the tournament in 2005-06. They have only won 1 Ranji Trophy and have been runner-up twice. Young talents such as Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina, Piyush...
by an innings. Karthik then scored 123 and 113 in consecutive matches against Baroda
Baroda cricket team
The Baroda cricket team is a domestic cricket team based in the city of Vadodara. The home ground of the team is the Moti Bagh Stadium on the palace grounds. The team is run by the Baroda Cricket Association. It has been one of the most successful teams in the Ranji Trophy in the new millennium...
and Railways
Railways cricket team
The Railways Cricket Team has been very successful in the Ranji Trophy in recent years, although much of their history has been spent in unsuccessful endeavours to win the tournament.-Competition History:...
before ending his Ranji Torphy campaign with 72 against Uttar Pradesh in the return match. He then continued his strong run against Central Zone
Central Zone cricket team
The Central Zone cricket team is a first-class cricket team that represents central India in the Duleep Trophy. It is a composite team of players from five first-class Indian teams from central India competing in the Ranji Trophy: Madhya Pradesh, Railways, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Vidarbha...
in the Duleep Trophy
Duleep Trophy
The Duleep Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket competition played in India between teams representing geographical zones of India. The competition is named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji .-History:...
, scoring 153 and 103 in one match. Karthik ended with 1026 runs at 64.12 for the season, including five centuries and two fifties.
He then scored an unbeaten 117 against Kerala in the one-day tournament and was selected for the tour of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
as the reserve wicket-keeper. After watching the entire T20 and ODI series from the sidelines, he played in the Second Test after Dhoni was injured, but he was criticised for dropping multiple catches as the hosts amassed 9/619 and made only six in his only innings.
In the 2009 Indian Premier League
2009 Indian Premier League
The 2009 Indian Premier League season, abbreviated as IPL 2 or the 2009 IPL, was the second season of the Indian Premier League, established by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 2007. The tournament was hosted by South Africa and was played between 18 April and 24 May 2009...
held in South Africa, Karthik played in each of Delhi's 15 matches, scoring 288 runs at 36.00, passing 40 on three occasions and making 17 dismissals. Delhi topped the pool stage of the tournament, but Karthik made only nine in the semi-final as Delhi were defeated by six wickets by the Deccan Chargers
Deccan Chargers
Hyderabad Deccan Chargers known in short as DC or 'Chargers' is a cricket franchise that represents the city of Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League...
.
He got a chance again in India's four match tour of West Indies where he replaced opener Sehwag, who was out with a shoulder injury. He scored 67, 4 and 47 as a opener which could help him claim a berth for the future, as India took the series 2–1.
With Sehwag still injured, he was retained for a short triangular ODI tournament in Sri Lanka in September. He scored 4 and 16 in India's two round robin matches and was dropped for the final, in which India triumphed over the hosts. Karthik was retained for the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa, but after his performances in Sri Lanka, was omitted for the first two matches. He was given an opportunity in India's final pool match against the West Indies and scored 34 in a seven-wicket win, but it was not enough to prevent India's first round exit.
Sehwag and Yuvraj recovered in time for the home ODI series against Australia, so Karthik returned to domestic duty at the start of the 2009–10 season. He played in Delhi's four matches in the 2009 Twenty20 Champions League, scoring 92 runs at 23.00, including a top-score of 61 against Sri Lanka's Wayamba
Wayamba cricket team
Wayamba cricket team is a Sri Lankan first class cricket team based in Kurunegala, that represents North Western Province. It draws cricketers from Sri Lanka Premier Trophy. The team competes in two provincial tournaments: the first class cricket competition known as the Inter-Provincial...
. Delhi were knocked out in the Super 8 stage. Karthik played in six Ranji Trophy matches for Tamil Nadu as captain, and he had an uneven run of scoring with the bat. He scored 152 against Orissa and 117 against Punjab, and added a further two scores of at least 70, but managed only 16 runs in his four other innings. Karthik ended the season with 443 runs at 55.37. He also resorted to bowling himself twice, when matches were proceeding towards a draw, with no success; he delivered 14 overs and conceded 97 runs in all. However, Karthik was not to lead Tamil Nadu into the knockout stages of the competition.
In December 2009, Karthik was recalled to the ODI team during the Sri Lankan tour of India after Dhoni was banned after the second match for two matches because of slow over rates. Karthik kept wickets in the next two matches, scoring 32 and 19 and remaining unbeaten in both instances, helping to guide India to the target in successful runchases. He retained his place as a middle-order batsman in the fifth and final match when Dhoni returned after Tendulkar was rested and Yuvraj injured, but the match was ended prematurely due to an unsafe pitch.
Karthik retained his place for the ODI tri-series in Bangladesh against the hosts and Sri Lanka after Tendulkar was rested for the tournament. Karthik played as an opener along Gambhir in the last two of the round-robin matches after Sehwag was rested. Karthik made 48 and 34 in quick time as India won both matches but was dropped for the final, which was lost.
Karthik then played in the First Test at Chittagong after Dhoni was forced to withdraw due to injury. He made a duck in the first innings as India stumbled to 243 on the first day. He then made 27, falling in pursuit of quick runs for a declaration after India recovered in the second innings. India went on to win the match, and Karthik watched the next match from the sidelines after Dhoni recovered and steered India to a clean sweep.
Karthik was then displaced as the reserve gloveman for the two-Test home series against South Africa; Wriddhiman Saha
Wriddhiman Saha
Wriddhiman Prasanta Saha is an Indian cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and specialist wicket-keeper. Saha has played Test cricket for India and represents Bengal and the Chennai Super Kings in Indian domestic cricket.-Bengal:...
was called up to be Dhoni's deputy. Karthik scored 183 and 150 in the Duleep Trophy final against West Zone, becoming the third player after Lalchand Rajput
Lalchand Rajput
Lalchand Sitaram Rajput is a former Indian cricketer who played in two Tests and four ODIs from 1985 to 1987. Lalchand Rajput was assigned the task as a manager of Indian cricket team for a brief period...
and Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh Bhandal is an Indian cricketer, and the son of former Indian fast bowler and Punjabi movie star Yograj Singh. He has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000 and played his first Test match in 2003. He was the vice captain of the ODI team from late-2007 to late-2008...
to score centuries in both innings of a Duleep Trophy final. However, it was not enough as Yusuf Pathan
Yusuf Pathan
Yusuf Pathan is an Indian cricketer. Pathan made his debut in first-class cricket in 2001/02. He is a powerful and aggressive batsman and a right-arm offbreak bowler. His brother Irfan Pathan is also an Indian cricketer...
scored an unbeaten 210 from only 190 balls to set a new world record for a successful run-chase.