“I think it’s very interesting because even at the World Cup there are three stadiums that immediately come to mind: Sydney – [where] the sides are a bit narrower and the straights longer – Adelaide, we all know the sides are very narrow and the straights are long, while in Melbourne it’s the exact opposite – the straights are short and the sides very tall. So obviously we’re going to encounter different floors everywhere we play, so the challenges will be different.
“Here the challenges were different in every place we played. The fact that every time you get an opportunity there’s a certain challenge of just walking in. That’s pressure in itself. One of the most important things of this Rohit [Sharma] and Raul [Dravid] what was talked about in the beginning of this series was adaptability and understanding of the situations. I think that’s something we’ve done pretty well so far.”
“Look, at the moment in the Indian team we have the potential to field two teams or maybe even three teams judging by the number of players available,” he said. “I don’t think many countries can boast of that, so 20 to 25 players, to have just 15 players play out of a good crowd of 40 players, they’re going to be like, ‘Oh my goodness! I could have done this team’.
“Pressure is a privilege at this point as a cricketer [and] as an athlete,” said Karthik. “It’s something you’re committed to [you] only if you play at the highest level and you expect certain things from you. So I’m happy; I think it’s important to make sure on any given day what the game situation is like, read the game and try to do your best on that particular day.”
“Pressure is a privilege at this point as a cricketer [and] as an athlete. It is something that is given [you] only if you play at the highest level and you expect certain things from you.”
Karthik on handling pressure
Karthik once again paid tribute to the Indian team management for fostering an environment that gave players security despite failure and the opportunity to grow into their roles.
“That’s one of the happiest that I’ve been part of the Indian team… the amount of love and affection I get, not only from the team and the fans but also from the support of the captain and the manager.
“That’s what I’ve striven for my whole life and for the captain and coach to show so much faith in me that it’s only fair that I repay that trust by making performances that will help the team to cross the line in many ways, and that’s what I’ve been trying to do.”
