An image of an emotional Karun Nair being consoled by KL Rahul on the Lord’s balcony went viral on social media after his lacklustre performance in the third Test.
His poor run meant that the team management would look for a replacement in the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy as India tried to settle their batting line-up. B. Sai Sudharsan replaced Nair and it seemed the end of the road for him.
However, Risbhabh Pant’s unexpected injury opened the doors for him in the final Test at The Oval and he seemed determined to make the most of it. In conditions which
were tailormade for the pace bowlers, Nair showed his grit and discipline by scoring the only half-century in India’s first innings.
He batted at No. 5 and held the innings together even as wickets tumbled at the other end. His 65-run partnership with Washington Sundar paved the way for India to reach 224 in the first innings after losing six wickets for 153.
Nair showed a lot of resolve as he countered the lateral movement on a greentop. He stood up to the challenge and the 57 he scored could go a long way in reviving his cricketing career.
Josh Tongue got one right from over the wicket, fast and nipping in to hit the back pad of Nair and trap him in front. But he had by then shown that he can be relied upon in tough conditions.
Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate lauded his innings and called him a “versatile” player for being able to bat anywhere.
“He started off at (No.) six in the first Test and then batted at three for the other two Tests. I always said, and we always thought, that his tempo and his rhythm were very good. He is a quality player, particularly for the reason that he can absorb the pressure,” Ten Doeschate said.
“...I thought he summed up the conditions really well. Look, when someone comes back into the Test side like he did after a lengthy absence, the pressure is always there, and I think he has handled that very well. I thought six was a big ask... But he has never complained. It is the team that comes first.”