India has managed to climb up from being down to 0-2 to make the scores even at 2-2. South Africa on the other side has experienced a lot of injuries which might also affect the series decider for them but especially talking about India’s key player Dinesh Karthik who seems to be unfit for the last game of this series.
Dinesh Karthik no doubt has performed dominantly and has no chances to get benched or dropped after the backup role which he has been providing to the home side but significantly talking about the last match, Dinesh Karthik was hardly seen in the field in the second innings as the entire second half DK was experiencing it from the dressing room.
Dinesh Karthik, while batting, got injured on his preferred hand which also forced him to be on the ground for the second innings. This injury can cause a problem tonight as the star player Venkatesh Iyer can likely be subbed as a suitable replacement for Dinesh Karthik.
Dinesh Karthik during the match conference stated “Just feels good. I am feeling very secure in this setup. In the last game things didn’t go according to plan, but I went and expressed myself today. I think DK is thinking a little better. He is able to assess situations better and that comes with practice. Credit to my coach. They bowled brilliantly upfront and made it tough for us. It was a tough pitch to bat on. It was hard to hit boundaries. Our openers have usually been kind enough to get us off to good starts. When I went in Hardik told me to take my time. It was important that players who have been around for long need to stand up on such pitches. Bangalore is a home ground for me. I haven’t played with RCB, but have played a lot over there. It is good to see a bilateral series going down to the final match. To see the pressure being absorbed in the third and fourth games was something we would relish. Credit to Rahul Dravid; there is a certain sense of calmness. The dressing room is a calm place right now. It is important to learn to embrace pressure. It feels secure and fuzzy. That clarity and the environment helped.”
Fans on the other side hope for DK’s speedy recovery but the hand support was witnessed on Dinesh’s hand throughout the day after the match was concluded.
India and South Africa are entering the final stage tonight and the series decider has just made the game more exciting as the special stadium in Bengaluru – M Chinnaswamy Stadium where a bunch of iconic battles of cricketing career were witnessed.
Can Rishabh Pant lead the side for his maiden trophy as a skipper tonight?
