logo
Karun Nair finishes England series with 205 runs: Is this the end of his Test career?

Karun Nair finishes England series with 205 runs: Is this the end of his Test career?

India Today4 days ago
A special comeback story seemed to be on the cards when Karun Nair was named in India's squad for the Test tour of England. But after four Tests and just 205 runs to show for it, the 33-year-old finds himself at a crossroads yet again. Despite strong domestic form and a standout tour game, Nair's return to the Test arena has ended on a disappointing note.advertisementEverything seemed to be going right for him in the lead-up. Nair had a stellar Ranji Trophy season with Vidarbha, scoring 863 runs in their title-winning campaign. His performances earned him a spot with the Delhi Capitals in the IPL, where he showed flashes of his class. More recently, he smashed a commanding 204 in a tour match against the England Lions in Canterbury, reigniting hopes that he was ready for the highest level once more.However, once the main series began, things fell apart. He struggled to find rhythm or confidence. In the Oval Test, he had a good opportunity to make it count after reaching his fifty but threw it away, failing to display the ruthlessness required at this level.FLUSTERED AND OUT OF SYNC
Nair's dismissal in the second innings of the Oval Test summed up his series. A short ball from Gus Atkinson struck him on the gloves on his very first delivery, rattling him instantly. From that moment, he looked uncomfortable. Teammate Yashasvi Jaiswal was seen visibly frustrated, even speaking to Nair about not paying attention to field changes.His lack of urgency between the wickets further added to the tension. Jaiswal, who was pushing towards a big score, appeared annoyed at Nair's reluctance to run hard. It was a telling sign that, despite his domestic experience, the pressure of the occasion may have overwhelmed him.FAN FRUSTRATION MOUNTSOn social media, fans have not held back. Many have questioned Nair's place on the side, arguing that it is time to invest in a younger player who can grow into the role. The sentiment is clear — experience alone cannot be the metric for selection if it does not translate into performance.So, is this the end of Karun Nair's red-ball journey? Or will team management, led by Gautam Gambhir, offer him another chance in this World Test Championship cycle? As the dust settles on this series, tough calls lie ahead.- EndsMust Watch
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy: With Sai Sudharsan & Karun Nair, India's No. 3 issue sticks out like a sore thumb
Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy: With Sai Sudharsan & Karun Nair, India's No. 3 issue sticks out like a sore thumb

Deccan Herald

time3 hours ago

  • Deccan Herald

Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy: With Sai Sudharsan & Karun Nair, India's No. 3 issue sticks out like a sore thumb

Bengaluru: Amidst a plethora of superlative efforts by the Indian batters throughout the just-concluded England vs India series for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the performance of the No. 3 batters -- Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair -- stuck out like a sore Sudharsan (140 runs in 6 innings at an average of 23.33) and Karun Nair (111 runs in 4 innings at 27.75) neither could anchor the innings after a good start at the top of the order nor could they stabilise after early both were batting out of their comfort zone. While Sudharsan made himself a name worth a call to the Test squad due to his exploits as an opener, Nair has primarily given his best below No. said, in an era where there are two-three worthies competing for each position in the country, the trick is to adapt and grab the spot. Both Nair and Sudharsan, despite getting a few good starts, couldn't go on to play an innings substantive enough to secure their Trophy: Young India passes tough English test .While the team management might show more patience with Sudharsan given his age, the 33-year-old Nair will have to hope his brief but assured stints in the crease and a crucial half-century in the first innings of The Oval Test in the toughest batting conditions of the series, throw him another brings us back to India's No. 3 conundrum that has prolonged for too long to be Cheteshwar Pujara's last Test in June 2023 at The Oval against Australia, India have tried as many as six players over the last two years and five across the last 10 Tests (see the table) without much success. Skipper Shubman Gill, who demanded and got the No. 3 slot following the axing of Pujara, the most successful No. 3 batter after the peerless Rahul Dravid, experienced mixed results before deciding to occupy the No. 4 spot following the retirement of Virat Gill, Nair and Sudharsan, India have also used Devdutt Padikkal and KL Rahul, the man for all seasons and positions, on a make-shift basis with no encouraging one of the most prolific batting displays in the history of Test cricket, the nagging issue wouldn't have been lost on Gill and Head Coach Gautam Gambhir who know too well the importance of No. 3 position and the impact it can have on the batting line-up, especially in the SENA countries, if a reliable batter is not by modern greats like Dravid, Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara and Kane Williamson, the No. 3 spot is a bridge between the top and the middle order with the job of either stabilising an innings in case of an early loss or building on a foundation laid by the openers. Often expected to play long innings -- whether to see off the difficult phase or to tire out opposition's bowlers -- they are required to possess the attributes of both an opener and a middle-order batter with technical excellence assuming as much importance as temperament..A weak No. 3 can expose the middle-order too early while a reliable one adds stability and resilience. The position, therefore, is critical not only in terms of tactic but also mindsets of the following India were lucky to offset the failure of No. 3s in England, partly due to the flat nature of the pitches in most Tests, they will not get the similar conditions every time and everywhere.

HC declines interim relief to cricketer Dayal in rape case
HC declines interim relief to cricketer Dayal in rape case

Time of India

time5 hours ago

  • Time of India

HC declines interim relief to cricketer Dayal in rape case

1 2 Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court Wednesday declined to grant interim relief to 27-year-old cricketer Yash Dayal, who is facing allegations of raping a minor. The court refused to stay his arrest or halt police proceedings in the case. Justice Sudesh Bansal, while hearing Dayal's plea, observed that since the survivor was a minor when the alleged incident first took place, no protection from arrest could be considered at this stage. The court has called for the case diary from city police and listed the matter for further hearing on Aug 22. Yash Dayal, a fast bowler from Uttar Pradesh and a member of Royal Challengers Bangalore, the current IPL champion team, was accused of sexually assaulting the girl when she was 17. According to the survivor's lawyer, the incident occurred about two years ago, when she was a minor. It was also alleged that Dayal called the girl to a hotel in Sitapura during IPL-2025 and raped her again. Sanganer Sadar police registered the case on July 23. As per the petition, the survivor introduced herself as a cricketer and came in contact with Dayal in connection with her sporting career. She alleged that Dayal promised her help with professional opportunities in exchange for sexual favours. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Limited Time iPhone Deals (Save Big) on the Latest Models! SearchPad Undo During the hearing, Dayal's counsel, Kunal Jaiman, argued that another case from a different complainant was filed in Ghaziabad, and the Allahabad High Court stayed proceedings in that matter. He further alleged that the complainant in Ghaziabad and that in Jaipur were in collision and a group was trying to blackmail Dayal by filing coordinated cases against him.

‘I was never the villain, I was made into one': Oval pitch curator who irked Gautam Gambhir after epic India vs England encounter
‘I was never the villain, I was made into one': Oval pitch curator who irked Gautam Gambhir after epic India vs England encounter

Indian Express

time7 hours ago

  • Indian Express

‘I was never the villain, I was made into one': Oval pitch curator who irked Gautam Gambhir after epic India vs England encounter

India came back from a seemingly hopeless situation to win the Oval Test and draw the five-match series against England 2-2. It marked the end of a series that was filled with incidents. While most of it happened on the field, India head coach Gautam Gambhir's argument with Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis before the start of the fifth Test was easily the most prominent off-field flare-up over the course of the series. Gambhir firing angry words at Fortis is what went viral first and the Indian head coach received some criticism for his choice of words to describe the latter's profession. However, details later emerged about what it is that irked Gambhir so much and that led to Fortis being accused of favouring England at best and having a colonial mindset towards the Indians at worst. The track that Fortis and his ground staff prepared, and maintained admirably in a Test that was frequently interrupted by rain, coughed up a thriller, though, with India winning it by just six runs – their lowest margin of victory by runs in Test cricket. 'Well, I was never the villain, I was made into one,' Fortis is quoted as saying by PTI. 'Hope you guys enjoyed the show and the atmosphere was like the IPL. It was a great game.' Indian head coaches Gautam Gambhir and Sitanshu Kotak were asked by Fortis, through a messenger, to stay 2.5 metres away from the playing surface. He also shouted at the Indian support staff to not take a 'cooler' to the ground. Batting coach Kotak, who was close to the action and played the pacifier when an animated Gambhir was talking to Fortis, gave details about the net session altercation. 'When we went to see the pitch, we were asked by someone to keep a 2.5-metre distance. This was surprising. The Test would be in a few days and we were wearing joggers. So it felt a bit odd. We all have been on the ground enough, we have played so much cricket. Curators are possessive about the ground and the square but they need to understand that they are speaking to highly skilled and intelligent people.' Kotak said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store