India's leading left-arm spinner Murali Kartik has completely recovered from a thumb injury and is hoping to get a recall to the national side soon.
"I am now completely fit and will soon resume my training and fitness regimen," said Kartik, who missed out on a berth in the Indian team for the TVS Cup triangular one-day series in Dhaka because of a crack in his right thumb.
Kartik injured his thumb while playing for India 'A', against Jamaica in the Carib Beer domestic competition in the West Indies last month.
"I hurt my thumb while stopping a hard-hit drive. Initially, I returned to the field after six-seven stitches but a precautionary x-ray later revealed a crack in the thumb," he recalled.
It was one more instance of poor luck dogging the career of this bright 27-year-old Railways cricketer, who claimed 14 wickets from five matches in the Carib Beer series and had good chances of making it to the squad for the TVS Cup.
Kartik's talent is not fully reflected from his off-and-on international career during which he has taken nine wickets from four Test matches and four wickets from five one-day internationals. But none other than former West Indies captain Carl Hooper -- one of the best players of spin -- acknowledged him as a left-arm spinner of immense talent.
Kartik was part of the Test team which toured New Zealand last year. He missed out on the subsequent one-day series and the following World Cup in South Africa. A strong showing for India 'A' in the West Indies looked the right sort of base for his return to Indian fold before the ill-timed injury halted him in his tracks.
The pitches for the TVS Cup favoured spinners and Kartik could have joined the fun, given the poor batting techniques of rival teams Bangladesh and South Africa against quality spin.
Missing out on Dhaka where he started his Test career in 2000 was not the only setback. Kartik also lost out on a contract to play league cricket for HighTown Club in Liverpool this season though it was not on account of his thumb injury.
"They just informed me an Indian 'A' team was to visit England in June and they could not take the risk with me," he said.
With veterans like Javagal Srinath and Anil Kumble on their way out, the Indian bowling attack will centre around young bowlers in the coming seasons. Kartik is keen to mount a fresh challenge for a spinner's slot in the coming season, starting with Asia Cup in Sri Lanka in mid-August.
He has so far played 67 first class games and picked up 219 wickets with 15 five-wicket and two 10-wicket hauls, at a brilliant economy rate of 2.24.
