Karthik after T20 series loss: Genuinely believed I could hit that six

I genuinely believed that I could hit a six Indian wicketkeeperbatsman Dinesh Karthik said as he reflected on refusing a single to nonstriker Krunal Pandya in the seriesdeciding third T20 International against New ZealandOn Sunday night at Hamilton things did not go as per plan in the final over in which India needed 16 runs and the 33yearold has no qualms in accepting that Karthik refused a single to the bighitting Krunal off the third ball of the over leading to some debate on whether he took the right decisionI think Krunal and I batted really well from that situation 1456 We were able to bring the match down to a place where the bowlers were under pressure We backed ourselves to do the job And at that stage after refusing the single I genuinely believed that I could hit a six Karthik told PTI on WednesdayOver the last couple of years Karthik has emerged as one of the most effective finishers for India in the shorter formatsHe faltered at Hamilton but it was only him and Krunal who took the game to the final over after India were 145 for six in the 16th over needing another 68 off 28 ballsAs a middleorder batsman a lot of times you have to trust your ability to play those big shots under pressure It is also important to trust your partner at that time It did not come off on that occasion but those things happen in the game of cricketBoth Krunal and Karthik shared an unbeaten 63run stand off 28 balls but it was not enough to save the series India lost the game by four runs and series 12Some days you are able to hit a boundary some days the bowler does a good job And there you have to give credit to Tim Southee for the way he executed those yorkers under pressure One mistake there and I am sure we would have take him down said KarthikAsked if the team management had a word with him on not taking that single Karthik said They were all aware of the situation and knew we both did the best we could On that day we were not good enough But the support staff as it has been around for a long time understood it our game planAs I said you keep practising those situations and because the belief I had in overcoming those situations in practice I trusted myself do the job in the middle I was not able to deliver that day That is what sport is The more you back yourself the more consistent you become in finishing the gameHaving made his international debut almost 15 years ago Karthik has managed to play only 26 Tests 91 ODIs and 30 T20sBut over the last 24 months his stopstart career seems to have found second wind and he has featured in as many as 20 ODIs and 21 T20Is besides making a Test comeback after more than eight yearsKarthik who has credited Mumbai stalwart Abhishek Nayar for his recent success cant recollect days when he has batted betterIf you go by the results definitely yes his best run in international cricket There is some continuity and that feels good The team has also done well so it has been a great couple of years to be a part ofDespite consistent performances Karthik will have to be on top of his game in the upcoming T20 and ODI series against Australia Indias last before the World Cup in MayJuly And he is ready to prove himself againAs an international cricketer you have to keep reinventing the wheel being consistent is part of it There will be questions asked and you have to keep answering them with your performancesIf you read into those things too much of proving yourself repeatedly it only pulls you down It is important that whatever opportunities you get you do the best you canKarthik said his long career albeit an inconsistent one has helped him immensely in his development as a finisher He has reached a stage where batting under pressure has become second nature to himAbhishek and I have been practising those situations for long now Preparing on different wickets different days it helpsAs a player you want to revel in those situations That is when you raise the bar for yourself and for your team as wellHas team management told him that number six is the spot for him in the batting orderNot really They are also very flexible in their approach I dont think they have fixed me at number five or sixThey just believe that whatever opportunity they will give me at any position they know that I will do the best that I can They know that I am able to finish games irrespective of the batting position added KarthikCatch up on all the latest sports news and updates here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updatesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever