When Dinesh Karthik took first strike in the 2nd T20I of the three-match series against Australia on Friday night, India needed nine runs from the last over to win the eight-over-a-side slugfest.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Australia had scored 90\/5 in their eight overs and India were 82\/4 in response at the end of the seventh over. In normal situations, any newcomer would have taken a single to give the strike to skipper Rohit Sharma, who was well set at the other end with a 20-ball 46.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Dinesh Karthik, DK as he is popularly known and is currently among the best finishers in the T20 game, has enough experience of batting in such situations and blasted a thundering six and followed it with a boundary to seal a memorable victory for India.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It was not an easy pitch and to smash such big shots off a bowler like Sean Abbott is no mean feat. DK has been there and done that many times. He abilities as a finisher seem to have given a second wind to his career and at the age of 37, he had a brilliant IPL 2022 edition and has made it back to the Indian team. He could be a vital cog in the wheel for India at the T20 World Cup.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
On Friday, DK revealed how he prepares for such eventualities in which he may have to set in to bat with only 6-7 deliveries to play and score the maximum runs possible in that situation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He said he does "scenario practice" in which he sets himself a target like 20 runs from six balls and then goes about achieving it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Look, over a period of time, I have been practicing for this. I have been doing this for RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore) now and am happy to be doing it here also. It's a consistent routine over time and in the off-time," Dinesh Karthik said in the post-match press conference after India's six-wicket win against Australia at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium at Jamtha near here.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He said among the specific training, he does the scenario practice and training specific to the situations so as to keep himself ready for blasting 30-40-odd runs in quick time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"I do a lot of scenario practices and Vikram paaji (Vikram Rathour, batting consultant) and Rahul bhai (Rahul Dravid, head coach), have been accommodative of how I practice, which shots I want to practice. So, I have been very specific, I don't practice too much and I try and keep it as specific as possible," said DK after the match on Friday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Also, to help him perfect his art of scoring quick runs in very few balls, the Indian think-tank promote him in the batting order to help him with his T20 World Cup preparations.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Skipper Sharma said they promoted Karthik up the order and sent him ahead of Rishabh Pant so as to give him some time in the middle.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
About his two-ball heroics, Karthik said he was expecting Hazlewood to bowl to him in the final over but Abbott was given the eighth over.<\/p>\r\n\r\n