'Pant has the effect of Sehwag or Gilchrist on rivals': Karthik

Karthik has seen enough cricket and played with and against enough legendary cricketers to have a sound opinion of the game and that is what will see him join a leading English broadcaster as a commentator for India's tour of England.

Dinesh Karthik might not be a part of the Indian set-up currently but he has been around in the international circuit for years now, having represented India in 26 Tests, 94 ODIs, and 32 T20Is. He was even part of the squad for the 2019 ICC World Cup and has been a leading figure for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL for the past few years.

Virender Sehwag, Rishabh Pant and Adam Gilchrist. (File)

Karthik has seen enough cricket and played with and against enough legendary cricketers to have a sound opinion of the game and that is what will see him join a leading English broadcaster as a commentator for India's tour of England.

That tour starts with the all-important World Test Championship final against New Zealand from June 18 in Southampton and Karthik feels one Indian youngster can play a key role not just in the WTC final but in the 5-match Test series against England.

“He lends flexibility to the team and the management has the opportunity to play the extra batsman or the bowler as per requirement. And what is most important is the way he instills fear in the mind of opposition. Pant has the effect that Virender Sehwag or Adam Gilchrist used to have on rivals,” Karthik told the Times of India in an interview, about Indian wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant.

Pant played a pivotal role in India's glorious Test series win in Australia and followed that up with crucial knocks in the Test series against England at home, which India won after coming back from a game down.

Now, Pant is back in the country where the revival of his Test career started. A rearguard knock of 114 in the final Test of the 2018 series at The Oval saw the keeper-batsman give India a great chance to narrow the deficit of the series as he and KL Rahul tried to take the visitors to an unlikely victory.

India lost that match and the series 1-4 but Pant won admirers due to his never-say-die attitude. He scored an unbeaten 159 in the final Test in Sydney in January 2019 as India secured a historic win down under.

He continued to play important knocks but it was in Australia again that Pant made headlines. A swashbuckling fourth innings 97 in Sydney went a long way in helping India secure a draw in the third Test and he followed that with a match-winning unbeaten 89 in Brisbane as India won a series that will be remembered for generations.

He followed it up with two half-centuries and a century against England at home and his form will definitely be crucial for Kohli and his team.