Karun Nair’s time in England has ended in the manner it started. The 33-year-old got the chance to bat 8 times, and only once did he register a single-digit score. Despite getting starts, Nair only scored one fifty in the India vs England Test series.
Even if one isn’t overtly critical, Nair has failed. During the 5-match series, India scored 12 hundred. This is a record. It’s the first occasion where India has hit a dozen centuries on an away tour or at home. But Nair isn’t one of them.
Out of the 17 completed innings, 300 has been crossed 12 times. 400 has been crossed 7 times. It’s been a high-scoring series. But Nair has just 205 runs in 8 innings. As of now, he isn’t even among the 13th highest scorers of the series despite playing 4 Test matches.
Karun Nair wastes yet another chance
In 5 of Nair’s 8 innings, he has entered the middle in a great position. But he’s failed to cash in. His lone fifty came in the toughest of conditions, and he was lauded. But in the second innings of the fifth Test, Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a hundred. Akash Deep scored 66 runs, and Nair got 17.
For someone whose career was hanging by a thread, this was the opportunity to get another chance. Nair has only come in after Rishabh Pant and Nitish Kumar Reddy were ruled out; had either been fit to play, he wouldn’t have played at the Oval.
Karun Nair in the India vs England Test series
| Match | Batting Positions | Entry Points | Scores |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | 6 | 430/4 & 287/4 | 0 & 20 |
| 2nd Test | 3 | 15/1 & 51/1 | 31& 26 |
| 3rd Test | 3 | 13/1 & 5/1 | 40 & 14 |
| 5th Test | 5 & 6 | 83/3 & 189/4 | 57 & 17 |
What’s next for Karun Nair?
Sai Sudharsan hasn’t been exceptional at number 3 for India. After 3 matches at the position, the youngster averages 23.33. That isn’t great. But Nair, who is 10 years old and has experience playing in England, hasn’t done much better. In 2 matches at the position, Nair averages 27.75.
The fact is, Sudharsan is the future. Nair isn’t. After failing to get even one big score, the veteran batter shouldn’t ideally get a chance to play at number 3. But what about number 5 or 6? These are spots where Nair batted in the other two Test matches and does so in domestic cricket as well.
Well, Nair can’t play there. Rishabh Pant, who’s out with a foot injury, is India’s number five. The wicketkeeper batter averages 59.03 there. He isn’t moving. What about number 6? One of Washington Sundar, Nitish Reddy, and Ravindra Jadeja plays there. All of them are all-rounders. He can’t compete with them. Jadeja actually averages 51.05 at number 6.
What’s next for Nair? It seems like it’ll be domestic cricket for Karnataka. In all likelihood, Nair won’t play Test cricket for India in the future. One can’t rule anything out, but it won’t serve any purpose to play him again when younger batters are waiting for their turns.
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