Karthik's keeping ruse

[Mr. Wicket]

Someone needs to tell Dinesh Karthik that he can't keep switching from 'wicketkeeper' to 'keeper-batsman' to 'specialist batsman/opener' to 'keeper/batsman'. And someone needs to alert the selectors and think tank to the fact that Karthik's keeping is rapidly deteriorating from what it used to be, to the point that he can't be picked as a pure keeper. The time he's spent working on his ground fielding and focusing on his batting has hurt his keeping a great deal. In 2004 when he was first picked, his keeping was superb. Great footwork, fine anticipation and sharp reflexes - the stumping to remove Vaughan at Lord's in an ODI in 04 was particularly memorable. When he came in as a keeper to replace Dhoni against Pakistan in Bangalore, it was farcical. Let through a record number of byes, couldn't keep down long enough and respond to balls keeping low (a must on Indian pitches), and looked very average. And here again he's looked iffy in the warmup. Dhoni wasn't amused when he spilled a not-too-hard chance off his bowling last ball yesterday. The first couple of balls Pathan bowled today showed him up completely - the first was a beauty, getting Cowan's inside edge, missing off stump by a bit and heading to the keeper - and Karthik let it through for four. The next was slightly down leg side, take flubbed and Cowan immediately escaped the strike. Karthik simply cannot continue to be picked as a substitute keeper and batsman. Either he goes back to domestics, learns how to keep wickets again and then gets picked as a standby keeper, or he works on his batting until he's capable of holding a place in the side for his batting, and then India can call up someone like Parthiv, Rawat or Bisla to keep.

[Indus_Army]

Excellent point. If Karthik goes on in this vein, I have little doubt that Parthiv Patel will be back in the team as the reserve WK. In the meanwhile, reports about PP's improvement in wicket-keeping & batting skills is encouraging.

[fineleg]

he was the best keeper amongst msd, parthiv patel and himself. but all the fielding in outfield has screwed up his keeping skills now.

[SachDan]

and he's been hardly given a chance to keep in the middle!

[fineleg]

and he's been hardly given a chance to keep in the middle!

he did against Pak (although he was pathetic to say the least)

[Mr. Wicket]

and he's been hardly given a chance to keep in the middle!

well, he's chosen to turn out as a specialist batsman in domestics. Can't improve your keeping when you're doing that...

[Chandan]

So who was keeing for TN then when Karthik was playing? Someone else? It looks as if he didn't want to retain the extra skill if he didn't keep in Ranji matches. Sad. BCCI is known to convert even good into bad, so it isn't a surprise. But I think Karthik should know better. Why is he keeping in this match, btw? Is there any problem with Dhoni's fitness?

[Ram]

Karhik's current role seems a muddled tbh. I am beginning to wonder what his primary role is.

[beetle]

In order to retain his place ...he has become confused.Poor guy! He was cconsidered a better keeper than dhoni.Dhoni becoming the captain of ODI and VC in tests has left him extremely insecure. Fortunately he has age on his side.

[fineleg]

Karhik's current role seems a muddled tbh. I am beginning to wonder what his primary role is.

primary role is on the bench as backup for err...keeper, err...opener, err...sub fielder, err...:haha:

[Ram]

primary role is on the bench as backup for err...keeper' date=' err...opener, err...sub fielder, err...:haha:[/quote'] Actually, that post summed it up VERY nicely.