Dinesh Karthik on India’s batting woes: ‘We are talking about consistent collapses’

Dinesh Karthik pointed out the failure of Indian batters as the reason for the team’s nine-wicket defeat in the Indore Test against Australia which ensured a spot in the WTCC final for the visitors. Holding a 2-0 lead in the series, a victory at Indore would have sent India into the WTC final, but the double collapse of Indian batters on the rank turner in Indore, led to Australia grabbing the opportunity with both hands as they handed the hosts their third Test defeat at home in last 10 years.

India were bowled out for 109 and 163 in the two innings in Indore with Cheteshwar Pujara scoring the only fifty for the home team in the match. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer failed in both innings of the Test. The story of the series so far has not been much different with only four Indian batters scoring over 100 runs in the three matches. Apart from Rohit and Kohli, the remaining are all-rounders Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja.

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While discussing India’s defeat on a show, Karthik pointed out that while batting on spinning tracks in India is tough, batters of the home team need to do much better.

“We cannot hide from the fact that India’s top 7 haven’t got the scores that they would like. We are talking about consistent collapses. Is batting difficult on this pitch? Most definitely. But as a team they have chosen to play on these pitches which means they need to back themselves on them. They are capable of it, a lot of the players in isolation have probably played on tougher pitches and succeeded but playing international cricket is a different ball game,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz.

“When you get out a couple of times there are so many doubts that come, the confidence gets low. And then, to go out there and still back yourself just to play those big shots to get away from pressure can be really hard. I completely empathise with the Indian batters, it is hard work, but that is what Test cricket is.”

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For Australia as well, only four batters have crossed the 100-run mark in the series so far, but all four of them are part of the top and middle order. Karthik added that the failures of Indian batters are being “camouflaged” by lower-order contributions.

“They will accept that a large part of it has been camouflaged by two things – the lower order contributions and the fact that India have won both those matches. If you rewind and go to the Bangladesh series, there also they struggled against spinners but it was camouflaged by India winning those matches and the lower order contributions. But when you lose a match, it is glaringly obvious, it is right in your face and people will speak about it and they are right in doing it. It has happened consistently over a period of time and the question will arise, how is it that team India is consistently backing these players but they are not producing the scores that is required,” added Karthik.

The fourth Test between India and Australia starts on 9 February in Ahmedabad.

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