INDORE: Murali Kartik, who made his debut six years ago against Hansie Cronje-led South Africa, is presently working on his 14th comeback to the Indian team. The sight of Kartik, rolling his arm over at the Usha Raje Cricket Centre here as Central Zone prepared itself for the Deodhar Trophy match against North Zone conveyed a few disturbing signals as far as the Railway left-arm spinner was concerned.

His last Test appearance was against South Africa at Kanpur last season. In the preceding Test against Australia at Mumbai, he had picked the `Man of the Match' award. Gautam Gambhir, who made his debut at Kanpur, has figured in 11 Tests since but Kartik has craved for opportunities even when bowling at his best.

Sidelined

Now, for reasons best known to the Indian team management, he finds himself on the sidelines, facing an arduous journey that begins from scratch. He has played under three captains but his plight has remained unchanged. A shoulder niggle has also compounded his worries as the comeback artist battles to defend his reputation.

Kartik loves a challenge but cannot comprehend the reasons for the ease with which he gets the axe from the national team. He is angry and frustrated, but not dejected. A thorough pro, he would not mind a verbal duel to tell off an opponent but then he plays his cricket the hard way.

The same applies to Jai Prakash Yadav, leading the Central side here. One of the early utility men identified for the 2007 World Cup, he strove to create a place for himself in the Indian team but inexplicably seems to have fallen from grace in the race intensified by the onset of a young brigade. The over-30 players on the domestic circuit must be wondering if they have a future for the essence of selection these days is youth.

Batting depth

Lack of motivation is not to be missed in the North camp too where Dinesh Mongia, Reetender Sodhi, Pankaj Dharmani and Mithun Manhas provide the experience for the young brigade to thrive upon. Gambhir will add to the batting depth of a side that has a brilliant strokemaker in Haryana opener Sumit Sharma and a consistent performer in Yashpal Singh of Services. Their prolific run with the bat this season marked them as batsmen worth watching.

Then there are bowlers like Gagandeep Singh, Amit Mishra and Joginder Sharma of North and Harvinder Singh of Central. They began the season with plenty of hope but lost the way as the demands from the think tank of Indian cricket left them with little scope to plan a possible comeback.

True, some seasoned campaigners like Gagan Khoda, still striking the ball fluently, Abbas Ali and Devendra Bundela can show the way for youngsters wanting to learn the art of developing long careers. They have the experience to command such respect. Over the years, the potential of these veterans may have been undermined by forces beyond their control but there is no doubt that the presence of this trio lends quality to the competition and provides solidity to the Central camp. Age is no factor in their case since they can give the best of youngsters a run for their money.

The North-Central encounter on Tuesday will essentially be a platform for some individuals to conquer their frustration by excelling if only to make a point. Central suffered a loss at Gwalior in its last match against West while North makes its first appearance. Despite little promise from the pitch, the match raises hopes of a potential thriller.

The teams (from):

North: Dinesh Mongia (capt.), Reetender Sodhi, Gautam Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, Sumit Sharma, Mithun Manhas, Yashpal Singh, Pankaj Dharmani, Mahesh Rawat, Amit Mishra, Joginder Sharma, Gagandeep Singh, Abid Nabi, Gaurav Vashisht and Ishant Sharma.

Central: J. P. Yadav (capt.), Amit Pagnis, Gagan Khoda, T. P. Singh, Devendra Bundela, Abbas Ali, Naman Ojha, Harvinder Singh, Murali Kartik, Praveen Kumar, Shivkant Shukla, Ratnesh Mishra, Ravikant Shukla, Sameer Khare and Madhusudan Acharya.

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