Interview with Murali Kartik
This conversation with Murali Kartik took place on the eve of the National Cricket Academy's inauguration in May.
 What are you looking to get out of the Academy? What are the areas in which you're looking to improve yourself? [Audio]
In this game you never stop learning, so I'm just looking forward to this Academy in the sense that it gives us five months to train ourselves and be physically fit which is what international cricket requires and I hope at the end of the day we come up trumps after this short stint here.
There are quite a few other left arm spinners coming up. Do you welcome this as a sort of healthy competition which will keep you on your toes? [Audio]
I think competition is one thing which always keeps everybody going. In a 100m dash, if the other person weren't running behind you, you wouldn't be going ahead or surging ahead. So that's what everybody requires. In all forms or all departments of the game, I think you need somebody who should be pushing you.
You weren't considered for the ODIs after the Tests against South Africa. Do you think you would enjoy the one-day game or do you think the balance is tilted a bit too much against the bowler? [Audio]
Yeah balance is tilted but the thing is that adaptability is the name of the game. You have to adapt yourself to whatever format. And I've done well in the one-day structure of our country, so I'm just looking forward to it.
Since you play for Railways, which doesn't always go to the later stages of the competition, do you think opportunities are a bit limited? [Audio]
No I don't think so because it spurs one to do well in the limited games you get. We normally qualify for the Super League (now abolished), which gives us around eight games, if you're playing all of them though I haven't played all those eight games for the past three years.
What would you consider to have been your most memorable performance so far at any level of the game? [Audio]
I was looking forward to the Ranji Trophy after graduating from Under 19 and the first game (against Vidarbha in 1996-97) was quite memorable. I took ten and got a hat-trick, six in the first innings and ten in the match. So that's a good start for anybody who's coming out of Under 19.
What would you say are your goals for the next one year? [Audio]
My main aim is I should be an established player in the Indian team for the Tests and I'm just hoping to be picked in the 20 probables for the Asia Cup. Then I'll just look on from there but my main aim right now is to gain peak physical fitness in the camp and just keep going ahead.
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