Dinesh Karthik Tamil Nadu Cricket

Dinesh Karthik one of the most expensive cricketers in the IPL does not think much of the prestigious and the highly rated first division league in Madras or at least his actions indicate that. 

A few years ago, at the Vivekananda College ground that India Cements maintained at that time, his India Cements first division team had finished their batting innings and the entire team was ready to go out to field.

And to everyone’s surprise, DK had changed into a coloured T Shirt and Shorts. With a music system wired on to his ears he ordered the ground marker to bring him another chair which he then used to stretch his two legs. And for the next two hours he was in a world of his own while his team were struggling on the field to get the opponents out.

And all this happened with the then Joint Secy of the TNCA Dr. Natarajan sitting right behind him. Dr. Natarajan was furious but had no words to say for DK had become far too big for the India Cements management (or for that matter the TNCA) to be pulled up - a man as vocal as Dr. Natarajan had to bear this in silence (he had a quiet word with me about an anecdotal story relating to the player but that will be kept for another day).

Earlier this Ranji season, Dinesh Karthik decided that he would not keep wickets and specialist keeper(!!!) Sushil was roped in to do the job ( One of the selectors said this evening that DK had had an injury in his hand and hence he could not keep in the first half of the season. Another source said that TN wanted to try another keeper). TNCA nodded, Dinesh Karthik did not keep.

MSD retires, DK dons the gloves

As soon as news broke out in Australia about MSD’s sudden decision to hang his boots, DK did a U-turn in Madras and decided that he was ready to keep again. And the TNCA nodded to this as well. And poor Sushil was out of the team.

And here in the final, after TN had given away a huge lead and there was State Pride at stake to not give away an outright Victory to our fiery neighbours ( we had been beaten outright by the same team in the same opener), DK decided that he would not bat at No. 4 (even though the team lost early wickets), his position right through the season, for the Trophy had already been lost. Sources said he would have been tired after keeping for 200+ overs.

He did come into bat later (on the final morning) at No.6 and scored a brilliant century at better than run a ball and then in his typical style gave it away after tea by lofting to deep cover with the match into the final session (another hour or so of determined batting and TN could have avoided the embarrassment of an innings defeat).

Compare this with a Dravid who comes back from international duty and plays for his local league team in Bangalore and scores a century and a (Mike) Hussey who uses a day’s break from his country’s net session to go back on a Sunday to play for his local league team ( not even the state team- his club in the local division league) and then rejoin the 'country nets' on Monday morning!!!.

That explains the state of affairs of cricket in Tamil Nadu. Rank turners on home ground helped the team qualify this season for the knock out but  attitudinal change and pride of the TNCA cap is what is required if we are to keep our state flag flying. 

PS: The bowler who spun TN to victory in those league matches and aided in the progress to the knock out was not good enough to figure in the team in the knock out stages!!!