Karun Nair’s Test comeback hit a painful roadblock as India excluded him from the playing XI for the crucial fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, Manchester. After scoring only 131 runs in six innings without a single fifty, selectors decided to move on from the struggling middle-order batter.
Sai Sudharsan Returns; Kamboj Debuts
India made three key changes. Sai Sudharsan rejoined the playing XI, replacing Nair. Anshul Kamboj received his first Test cap, and Shardul Thakur replaced injured all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy. Akash Deep also missed out due to injury.
Nair re-entered the Indian setup after eight years, riding on a brilliant Ranji Trophy season and a double century in the India A tour match. Despite the strong build-up, his performances in the actual Tests didn’t live up to expectations. The team management eventually chose consistency and fresh form over sentiment.
Sudharsan, who played the series opener in Leeds and scored 0 and 30, earned a second chance after sitting out the last two matches. His inclusion points to India’s intent to stabilize the top order.
“Cricket Gave Him Another Chance” Manjrekar Reacts
Speaking to JioStar, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar revisited Nair’s viral tweet from 2022: “Cricket, give me another chance.”
“He asked for another shot. Cricket gave him that. Sadly, he couldn’t capitalise. But I’m glad to see Sai Sudharsan back. I felt he deserved to play the second Test too,” Manjrekar noted.
With India set to host the West Indies in a two-match Test series on October 2 (Ahmedabad) and October 10 (Kolkata), Nair’s spot in the squad remains uncertain. Unless he delivers exceptional performances in domestic cricket before then, selectors might turn to younger names.
England Bowl First Again in Manchester
England captain Ben Stokes won the toss for the fourth straight Test and chose to bowl first in Manchester. History, however, does not support that decision. Teams bowling first at Old Trafford have never won a Test—recording 3 losses and 8 draws. India, too, have a poor record here, with 4 defeats in 9 matches and no victories yet.
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