Cuttack knock helped me make it to World Cup: Karthick

Mumbai, Feb 20 (UNI) Wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthick said his knock of 63 in the Cuttack one-dayer increased his chances of making it to the World Cup squad substantially.

Speaking on the sidelines of a function to unveil the new India kit, the young man from Tamil Nadu said that if anyone had told him that he would be a member of the Indian World Cup team a year back, he would have thought it to be a big joke.

Karthick, chosen as a middle order batsman who can double up as a wicketkeeper in India's World Cup squad, said the turning point in his career came during the Twenty20 game in South Africa. ''That match really gave me confidence and I started believing that I could bat against the best bowling attacks and score runs.'' Karthick, who revealed that he shares a very healthy relationship with India's number one wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, also thanked coach Greg Chappell for encouraging him to take fielding in front of the wicket very seriously during the South African tour.

He said the coach told him that if he worked work hard on fielding than he stood a chance of making it to the one-day team and that is what he was been doing, Karthick added.

Speaking about his relationship with Dhoni, Karthick said. ''He (Dhoni) is a very friendly guy and I go to him for help with my batting as well as keeping.'' Karthick said he has been taking advice from seniors like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, ''people who I look up to and who have played the game for a long time and undergone such situations.'' ''They give advice to keep my batting simple and not do things which are complicated for myself. That itself is of great help. They also have advised me to play my natural game,'' Karthick added.

UNI