Mumbai: Dinesh Karthik, Team India’s last over hero in the Nidhas Trophy final on Sunday, has every reason to thank his Surat-based coach and mentor Apurva Desai. Since July 2016, the wicketkeeper-batsman has been training under Desai before every tournament.
“I had a four-day training session with him in Mumbai at the D.Y. Patil Stadium soon after his return from South Africa”, Desai said from Surat.
“It is technical as well as tactical planning before every tournament considering what conditions he is likely to face in the tournament”, he added.
“I am not surprised with his power-hitting. He is very sure about the areas he wants to hit the ball in shorter versions. Hence I am assuming that hitting it over covers might have been in his mind since he might be expecting a yorker outside the off stump”.
Desai was first introduced to Dinesh by Mumbai-based allrounder Abhishek Nayar. “Myself and Abhishek mentor him. Abhishek wanted to resolve few areas where DK needed my guidance and that’s how I became his coach”.
“For some games where where needs specific adjustments, I travel to the city where he is playing and do sessions before the match”.
“Nayar and I have been continuously working on his basic technique, scoring area and in particular, strokes for shorter versions”, he added.
Earlier in Colombo, skipper Rohit Sharma lavished praise on the man of the moment. “He was with us on the previous tour in South Africa and didn’t get much game time. To do what he did today will give him a lot of confidence going forward,” Rohit told reporters.
“Most important thing he has is belief in himself. Whatever situation comes, he’s ready — whether he bats up the order or down the order. That’s the kind of guy we need in our team.”
Rohit revealed Karthik was not happy that he was not batting higher in the order but the Indian skipper defended his decision of sending him at number 7 saying his experience and skills made him a suitable candidate to provide the late charge in the final overs.
Lavishing praise on Karthik, Rohit said: “I have to go back to the kinds of shots that he has in his books — it suits him to finish off games at the death where you have to use that one fielder that is inside the circle — either fine leg, or mid-off or short third man.
— With inputs from PTI
