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Dinesh Karthik has been appointed England Lions’ batting consultant for the India A series. The 38-year-old will add local experience for the visitors during three four-day matches in Ahmedabad this month.
The former wicketkeeper-batter will join the squad for nine days ahead of the tour. Karthik will work alongside head coach Neil Kileen, another batting consultant Ian Bell and mentor Graeme Swann.
In a statement, the England Cricket Board (ECB) stated:
"Notable additions to the coaching staff include India international wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who will join the squad for nine days near the start of the tour."
England Men’s Performance Director Mo Babat said:
"It’s fantastic to have Dinesh Karthik with us for a part of our prep period and leading into the first Test."
Karthik has represented India in 26 Tests, scoring 1025 runs at an average of 25, including one century and seven fifties. He has also played 94 ODIs and 60 T20Is, scoring 2438 runs, with 10 half-centuries across formats.
Fans on X (formerly Twitter) came up with mixed reactions to Dinesh Karthik’s appointment as batting consultant.
"Pehle khud to batting seekh leta ye (He should have learned batting first)," one fan wrote.
Here are a few more reactions from fans:
Here’s the complete schedule of England Lions vs India A:
12-13 January: England Lions v India A, Narendra Modi Stadium – Ground B, Ahmedabad
17-20 January: England Lions v India A, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
24-27 January: England Lions v India A, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
1-4 February: England Lions v India A, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
England set to play five-match Test series against India
Ben Stokes-led England, meanwhile, will play a five-match Test series against India, which begins at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on January 25. The visitors will be in search of their first Test series win in India after 2013 when Alastair Cook led them to a 2-1 victory.
IND vs ENG 2024 Test schedule:
January 25-29: 1st Test at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad
February 2-6: 2nd Test at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam
February 15-19: 3rd Test at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot
February 23-27: 4th Test at JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi
March 7-11: 5th Test at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.
