All eyes were on Karun Nair as he marked his long-awaited return to India’s Test playing XI after an eight-year hiatus.
But the comeback failed to live up to expectations as the right-handed batter was dismissed for a duck on Day 2 of the first Test against England at Headingley, Leeds.
It had been eight long years — or 3,011 days to be precise — since Nair last donned the India Test jersey.
The moment finally arrived on Saturday, but the fairytale script did not unfold the way he might have imagined.
Nair walked out to bat at No. 6 for the Shubman Gill-led side in the first innings.
His stay at the crease was cut short by England skipper Ben Stokes, who lured the batter into a false shot.
Attempting a booming cover drive, Nair fell prey to the fielding brilliance of Ollie Pope, who pulled off a spectacular one-handed catch to dismiss him on the final ball of the 105th over.
“He was looking to play a cover drive. Dangerous thing to do at the start of your innings. He would have been better off had he slashed at that delivery,” remarked Sanjay Manjrekar.
The clip of Pope’s acrobatic effort was shared widely on X as fans reacted to the abrupt end of Karun’s return to red-ball cricket.
Karun Nair, who scripted history with a stunning triple century against England in Chennai back in December 2016, last played a Test in 2017.
His early dismissal at Headingley has now raised fresh questions about his future in the squad.