Date:12/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/12/stories/2008091256431700.htm

Back

Sport

Murali Kartik finds himself out of favour yet again

Vijay Lokapally

— FILE PHOTO

Murali Kartik.

NEW DELHI: At Lord’s, the home of Middlesex, county members and supporters call him the ‘Special One’.

He has been rated the best overseas player Middlesex has had since Desmond Haynes.

That was 19 years ago. Since then, they have had players like Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer, Stephen Fleming, Jacques Kallis and Lance Klusener.

Back home, he again finds himself on trial. Out of the selectors’ loop for the forthcoming series against Australia, left-am spinner Murali Kartik will need to begin from scratch despite the fact that he has earned rave reviews in England. “I don’t know what to say on this,” Kartik says on his exclusion. “Players like Nick Knight, Nasser Hussain, Michael Holding, David Lloyd, Michael Atherton ask me but then somehow our selectors don’t seem to agree, I think,” he said from London on Thursday.

Comeback history

Now he does not keep track of his comeback history — 13 or 14 or maybe more. Just eight Tests since debut in 2002 hardly do justice to his talent.

He was part of the Test team against Pakistan last November but was not included in the playing eleven. He was in the team for the series against South Africa but missed it due to a freak ankle injury. Ignored for the series against Sri Lanka, he last played a Test in 2004 against South Africa. Kartik’s analysis was 14-6-17-2. His previous Test appearance, against Australia in Mumbai, fetched him the ‘man of the match’ honours.

Despite skipper Anil Kumble promising a fair run for everyone under his regime, the yardsticks have been different. As for Kartik, he observes, “I guess if you get dropped after every good, half-decent or very good showing, it’s very difficult to establish yourself in the team. Yardsticks are different for me.” Kartik, 32, will return to Middlesex next season, his third consecutive one.

Kartik formed an impressive spin partnership with Shaun Udal and played a major role Middlesex’s Twenty20 success.

“It’s been a mixed season for us, from the highs of Twenty20 success to the lows of not being promoted in championship cricket to Div. I, to underperforming in pro-40 cricket.

“Personally it’s been fine for me, forming a very good partnership and understanding with Shaun in all forms of the game. I haven’t had too many wickets in four-day cricket, partly because of not bowling too much due to rains and us batting twice in a game, and also because of seaming tracks where both of us are not required too much to bowl,” Kartik said. Kartik is not disillusioned yet. “I will keep saying this as long as I am playing. I am only trying to play for my country as I know the India cap fits me well.”