Keepers to the fore

Berths for the Pakistan tour have all been booked. The wicketkeeping section, especially, seems overcrowded with Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Pa...

Berths for the Pakistan tour have all been booked. The wicketkeeping section, especially, seems overcrowded with Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Parthiv Patel, and even skipper Rahul Dravid able to chip in. But that8217;s hasn8217;t discouraged the talent at home. Here are two 8217;keepers from the past who are still in the mindspace by excelling with the bat

Dasgupta, returning from the deep end

Not long ago Deep Dasgupta appeared on the international scene and impressed with his bat, the most gritty being his 63 vs South Africa at Port Elizabeth, 2001. He opened the innings, and helped India save the Test. Today, with a resolute 124 batting at the Lalbhai Contractor Stadium here, he showcased his grit and tenacity to put Bengal in a comfortable position against Gujarat.

How it was then

If he was dropped it was because he failed in his primary duty: wicketkeeping. India were in dire need of somebody steady in that position and not just depend on the then vice-captain Dravid.

And now

Dasgupta has come back strongly when wearing the big gloves, complementing his batting prowess, and leading Bengal from the front.

His plus points today

While Dhoni is a good striker of the ball, Parthiv displays a good cricketing temperament for his age, Dasgupta is the kind of player who can hold out at one end and play the sheet anchor8217;s role, swimming through troubled waters and tiring out the bowlers. No loose balls go unattended either, while he shows he has a rather large repertoire of strokes.

The Realisation

8216;8216;When things were not going right for me, I had made the mistake of taking advice from to many people, reading stuff in newspapers. This played on my mind and I couldn8217;t focus on the game. May be didn8217;t enjoy really what I was doing. I always wanted to play cricket. It has been my passion. Now, more than anything, I am enjoying myself playing for Bengal. Right now, I am focused.8221;

Kaarthick proves his point at first go

SUDHEENDRA TRIPHTHI
Mumbai, December 26

His last Test was in Harare, that eventful tour of Zimbabwe. A highest career score of 93 wasn8217;t good enough, either were his 25 catches and four stumpings.

How it was then

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Dinesh Kaarthick was dropped from the national side as quickly as Patel nosed ahead. There wasn8217;t enough ammunition in his stock.

And now

Today, here, at each of the 15 boundaries Kaarthick smashed, he must8217;ve been wishing the national selectors were watching excluding VB Chandrashekhar, who was present at the Wankhede. By the end of day8217;s play, Kaarthick, for Tamil Nadu, had smashed an unbeaten 111-ball 98 and had proven a quite point too. Not just to Mumbai.

His plus points today

Karthik took his team to a respectable 208-8 after Tamil Nadu were tottering at 86-five at one stage. He showed aggressive mood right from the outset. Sixteen of his scoring shots came in boundaries.

Just the work

8220;I don8217;t want to comment. My job is to work hard and that8217;s what I8217;m going to do,8217;8217; he says.