Dinesh Karthik’s 94 against Bangladesh on Tuesday has put him in contention for a place in India’s 1st XI for the Champions Trophy. 

India are part of Group B along with South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The defending champions have sounded a warning that a repeat may be on the cards, after completing convincing wins over New Zealand (45 runs D/L-method) and Bangladesh (240 runs) in their warm-up matches.

The importance of Karthik’s 77-ball innings, which featured eight fours and a six, was not lost on him with Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble watching on.

‘For me, it was an important match: with the captain and coach watching me bat and seeing where I stand, it’s very important on a personal note. And I think it’s important to get a feel for batting back in England. It’s a great place to play some cricket,’ he told the ICC website.

Karthik showed his ability to bounce back from setbacks, having made a duck in his previous innings against New Zealand.

He also noted the adjustment one often has to make in the middle of an innings in England when cloud cover is about.

‘You have to be aware of the conditions. If the sun is out, it’s pretty beautiful to bat, in fact, it’s better than India because the ball bounces more and comes on to the bat,’ he said.

‘If there is a bit of cloud cover, then there’s a bit of swing immediately; you can see things changing and you can see the way the game progresses, the game flow with the sun being out or not. So that’s something you need to be aware of,’ he added.

India will meet Pakistan in their Champions Trophy opener on Sunday.

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