HYDERABAD: Perhaps, 33-year-old Murali Kartik, a classical left-arm spinner, is one of the worst cricketers after Mohinder Amarnath to suffer at the hands of the national selectors. Karthik, who is leading Railways in the Ranji Trophy cricket, is himself puzzled of being in and out of the Indian team despite bowling well whenever given chance in international cricket.
Perhaps he was the only cricketer to emerge as man of the match and then dropped for the next match on one occasion.
He is confident of making a come back.
Kartik had a highly successful fiveyear stint in Middlesex but next year he has been contracted to play for Somerset in the English County season.
Kartik agrees that there have been massive ups and downs in his career.
But the left-arm spinner believes that the process of staying in the team is when you perform.
However, what puzzles Kartik is that he is dropped despite performing well.
He says remorsefully: “But, if you are dropped after a good performance you are left with no answers.
You will be wondering why you were picked first place and then dropped in second place. It is just disappointing as simple as it.” The left-arm spinner feels it is a great honour to play for the country and that keeps him going. “The only motivation left is to play for your country. I don’t think there is no other bigger motivation than this. Once you had been there and done well and you want to be there again, again and again. I still dream of playing for India. Personally, I’m good as anyone. That is the reason I feel why I can’t make a come back” “Every time I was in the Indian team, I thought I did well. It is again the 6/27, which happens to be a world record for left arm spinner. Possibly I thought I would be there.” On his English county experience, Kartik thinks it is important to take wickets consistently. “You are brought there because you would be able to perform and to do that six months running.
It is a massive challenge as you have to perform consistently for six months.
Once, you are able to do that, I think you have done that job.” Kartik has advised young spinners to play in the longer version of the game before making their venture into the shorter version.
“I would say people bowling for long time can adapt easily. But for a young spinner, in the formative age when you learn the art of spin bowling, it does curb. Twenty20 is all about bowling dot balls or negating the run flow. You don’t learn the art of spin bowling. I think the longer format of the game should be preferred over the shorter format for young spinners.” It is important, according to Kartik, to play the three-day or four-day game to learn the intricacies of spin bowling.
“The formative years of younger cricketers is to play the three-day or four-day game so that you will learn the art of flighting the ball.” Kartik believes Test cricket is the real challenge.