Dinesh Karthik should play 3rd Test, says Gautam Gambhir

Dinesh Karthik should play 3rd Test, says Gautam Gambhir as he feels that Rishabh Pant will get his opportunity sometime down the line. 

Wridhhiman Saha has been ruled out of competitive cricket for a long time due to a shoulder injury.

He recently underwent surgery for the same. Saha’s injury opened the door for Dinesh Karthik to make his return to the whites.

Dinesh Karthik’s selection didn’t come as a surprise considering his recent limited-overs exploits. Karthik single-handedly won India the Nidahas trophy earlier this year by smashing 29 runs from just 8 deliveries which included a last-ball six which took his side home.

Apart from his heroics in the final of the Nidahas trophy he has been pretty consistent in his performances. With Saha gone Karthik was expected to carry his limited overs form to test cricket and make a difference as a wicket-keeper batsman which India has missed from a long time.

But as they say, red ball cricket is a different ball game altogether.

Dinesh Karthik who has scored only 21 runs in four innings in this series so far is a testament to this fact.

So, taking into consideration his contribution and the fact that England is just a win away from sealing the series, it is pretty certain that Karthik will make way for Rishabh pant who will play his first test match (if selected) for the national team.

Rishabh Pant is an aggressive left-handed batsman. Pant comes to Trent bridge on the back of some good performances against England lions where he was part of the India A squad.

Gautam Gambhir but, is of the opinion that Karthik should at least be given one more chance. This is what he said speaking to times of India.

“There will always be a temptation (to play Pant). I still feel that Dinesh Karthik is at that stage of his career, it’s now or never. So you got to always give someone an extra Test match than one lesser. People would be expecting for him to deliver with the amount of comebacks he’s made but those conditions are tough,” he said.

It is worth noting that Dinesh Karthik played as a specialist opener during the 2007 England series averaging a remarkable 43.80.

“If you don’t give him an opportunity in the next Test match or one more after that, we might never see him again. Rishabh can wait. He has a lot of years ahead of him. Because 6 innings, to be honest, can give you a better idea where the batter is,” he added.

But it is also important to note that losing one more test match means losing the series. So it is only fair for India to take the field this Saturday with their best eleven.

Pant spent a long time in the nets and Karthik just got to bat in the end with Dhawan and Karun nair. So if the scenes at the nets are to be believed (which they should) Rishabh pant looks certain to take the field this Saturday at Trent bridge.

Who do you think should play the 3rd Test? Is Rishabh Pant’s keeping good enough to not mess up crucial chances behind the stumps?