Karthik played a match-defining knock as India beat West Indies by 68 runs in the first T20I.
The first T20I between West Indies and India was played out on Friday (July 29) at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad.
The home side won the toss and opted to bat first. The opening duo of Rohit Sharma (64 off 44 balls) and Suryakumar Yadav (24 off 16 balls) got India off to a flying start.
Rohit, who had been struggling with the bat recently, brought up a well-deserved half-century, his 27th in T20Is. In the process, he also became the highest run-getter in the shortest format with 3443 runs to his name, surpassing New Zealand's Martin Guptill.
India lost a couple of wickets in the middle overs in quick succession but eventually, the difference between the two teams was Dinesh Karthik’s batting in the slog overs. The man, who emerged as the most destructive batter of IPL 2022, smashed 41* off just 19 balls and propelled the team’s total to 190/6.
The veteran batter deservedly received the Player of the Match award after the game ended.
Speaking at the presentation, Karthik said he has been enjoying the finisher’s role a lot while also acknowledging the support he has been receiving from the coach and captain.
“The wicket was a little sticky. Was not a good wicket to start on but once set, you got the pace of the wicket and you realized what kind of shots you can play. I have been enjoying it (finisher’s role) a lot. It is a very interesting role. It is not something that you can be very consistent with but on the days, you can make an impact on the team. You need the backing of the captain and coach and I have got that in abundance,” he said.
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When asked about his approach in the death overs, Karthik responded that he takes into account a lot of things.
“Assessing the wicket is important. On any given day, the last three-four overs that you bat, you need to be aware of a lot of things such as the shape of the ball, the softness of the ball, the wicket, and then you need to decide These are a little bit of things and that comes with a little bit of practice,” he concluded his statement.
Chasing 191, West Indies were restricted to 122/8 in 20 overs, owing to a spirited performance by Indian bowlers with Ravichandran Ashwin, Arshdeep Singh, and Ravi Bishnoi taking two wickets each at an economy of under 7.
The second T20I will be played on Monday (August 01) at Warner Park.
(INDIA TODAY INPUTS)