After disappointing in the first two Tests in Sri Lanka last year, Karthik was replaced by Parthiv Patel for the final match. Both were there because Mahendra Singh Dhoni had opted out but neither made an impression; nonetheless, they remained the front-runners for the second keeper's slot.
It was a close race but Karthik seems to have tipped the balance with the big runs he managed in the domestic game, even if the chinks in his glovework remained. He was No. 10 on the Ranji Trophy run-makers' list and the highest scorer in the Duleep Trophy; he had five centuries in all - three in the Ranji, including a double, and two in three Duleep games for South Zone.
It's been quite a turnaround from the Sri Lanka debacle but Karthik, who at 23 has dealt with adversity before, wasn't about to march off into the shadows. "I have been dropped before but it was tough when I returned from Sri Lanka. But you need to go through it and understand what you need to do to get back into the team."
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