"Karun Nair At No.3 I Didn't Agree With": Ex-India Star's Blunt View. Names Replacement

NDTV

21-07-2025

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar suggested that Sai Sudharsan should have been given more chances to play at number 3 in the Indian batting order, especially considering the favourable conditions of flat pitches and a weak English bowling attack. He expresses disagreement with the team management's decision to go with Karun Nair at number 3 after giving Sudharsan one chance in the first of five Test match series against England last month. In a video posted by ESPNcricinfo on X, Sanjay Manjrekar said, "Sai Sudharsan was always my number 3 after the first Test match, there was promise shown with 30 runs. And when you have flat pitches and one of England's weakest bowling attacks, you want to play a young player so Karun Nair at number 3 three I didn't agree with, maybe the team management might just want to prove a point that we were backing the right horse and give him one more match that's something happening with team management but I would like to see Sai sudharsan at number 3."
Sai Sudharsan made his Test debut in the series opener against England, where he played at no. 3 as Indian skipper Shubman Gill batted at no. 4 after the veteran batter Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket earlier this year, who batted at that position for a decade.
Sudharsan was dismissed for 0 in the first innings followed by a decent 30 runs in the second, he was dropped from the playing 11 in the second fixture and Karun Nair who batted at no.6 was promoted to no.3.
Nair failed to perform in the ongoing England series, making only 131 runs in six innings at an average of 21.83 and a best score of 40.
India will clash against England in the fourth Test starting from 23 July. The Men in Blue are currently 1-2 down in the five-match series after losing the third Test at Lord's by just 22 runs, despite a fighting effort by the tailenders and Ravindra Jadeja while chasing 193.