“It is actually about trying to be the best version of yourself” – Dinesh Karthik on Bazball

India’s wicket-keeper bat Dinesh Karthik feels the term ‘Bazball’ is not rightly understood. Karthik reckons Bazball is not only about scoring runs at a rapid pace of six or seven runs/over but about trying to be the best version of yourself.

Under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, England have won 13 out of the 18 Test matches they have played. England have played aggressively in all facets of the game and they have reaped rewards for the same.

England has not only been aggressive with the bat but they have taken the bulls by its horns in other areas as well.

“Actually I feel that the word Bazball isn’t understood well. It doesn’t mean applying pressure. It is actually about trying to be the best version of yourself. It basically means, at times when you have to absorb pressure, be courageous enough to do it and do it your way. That is the messaging that is going around. It is not about scoring runs at 6 or 7 runs an over,” said Karthik in an interview with Indian Express.

“It means if you sense that the opponent isn’t there in the game, then go for it but if they are on top and doing a good job, then try and see the best defensive version of yourself using the game you have. Don’t try to surrender trying to do something you are not good at. But be very confident of what you can do in those situations with your game. With the ball it is all about constantly trying ways to get wickets,” he added.

Karthik added that there will be days when India will completely dominate England in the ongoing five-match Test series. India has been a force to reckon with in their conditions and England batters will have their task cut out against the Indian spinners.

“For any touring team to India that is going to be the biggest challenge. How you are able to understand that on days which don’t go yourway, how to come back and start afresh is the biggest challenge in India. Over here, as the Test match progresses, it is only going to get harder for batting. With the spinners India have, there are bound to be challenges for sure. But that is where they have to buckle down more mentally and come out and play their best game that they have done for the last 18 months,” said Karthik.

“That will be a big challenge to them. There are going to be days when India completely dominates them and come next day, it will be up to England to show how they turn up. Whether the scars of the previous day are still fresh or they have gone past it and they come out fresh and do what they can,” he added.

At lunch, England were 108-3 after winning the toss in the first innings of the opening Test.