Dinesh Karthik as pure batter

[ColdSnow]

Both Dinesh Karthik and Dhoni have been a part of the Indian ODI team a while now.

I was just wondering why India use Dinesh Karthik as pure batter and Dhoni as wicketkeeper/batter? Is Dhoni's wicketkeeping ability better than Karthik's and is Karthik's batting ability better than Dhoni's?

Why not use Karthik as wicketkeeper?

 

[Jono]

Its either because
a) he's a better fielder than Dhoni, or
b) not to take confidence away from Dhoni's keeping when Karthik doesn't play, since he's far from a certainty.

 

[ColdSnow]

shouldn't dhoni keep for 25 overs and karthik for 25 overs? That way karthik can showcase his wk skills as well. Actually, i've heard he's a better keeper than dhoni.

 

[Jono]

shouldn't dhoni keep for 25 overs and karthik for 25 overs? That way karthik can showcase his wk skills as well. Actually, i've heard he's a better keeper than dhoni.

That'd be pretty silly, once you have rhythm as a keeper it'd be incredibly disruptive to suddenly have to field the ball with your hands at cover or mid off or wherever.

Plus the selectors know what Karthik can do with the gloves, they've seen plenty of him.

 

[adharcric]

Jono summed it up quite well. Everyone knows that Karthik is superior with the gloves, but Dhoni is a regular in the one-day side and Karthik is very athletic in the field as well.

 

[Prince EWS]

Will Scarlet won't be impressed by the thread title.

 

[LA ICE-E]

Jono summed it up quite well. Everyone knows that Karthik is superior with the gloves, but Dhoni is a regular in the one-day side and Karthik is very athletic in the field as well.

why doesn't karthik just keep than? and get a specialist batsmen instead of dhoni? although i like dhoni better than karthik

 

[Jono]

why doesn't karthik just keep than? and get a specialist batsmen instead of dhoni? although i like dhoni better than karthik

In ODIs? There aren't many better ODI batsman in India than Dhoni. He easily makes the team on batting alone.

 

[Pratters]

Don't see the need of playing 2 keepers. We should have either gone back to Raina or Kaif or tried some one new - like Badri. India does look at playing both Karthik and Dhoni as it stands though.

 

[Arjun]

Dinesh Karthik is not cut out for ODI's. Lacks the strike power as a wicketkeeper batsman, doesn't last very long in the middle and his fielding is error-prone. All put together, he's a misfit in the shorter version of the game.

Maybe have him as a specialist in Tests, as a middle-order batsman or even opener, but his main skill is his wicketkeeping, and he should concentrate on that. Batting is just a bonus.