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As Shubman Gill-led side headed to England for a five-Test series, there was much talk of transition. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had retired recently and there was pressure on the young Indian team to perform. There were many questions raised by former cricketers but the Indian team put on a show against Bazball-clad England levelling the series 2-2. Days after the win at The Oval, Karun Nair reveals head coach Gautam Gambhir's message in the dressing room.
"Right at the very beginning, Gauti [Gautam Gambhir] bhai said, he doesn't want us to look at it as a team in transition," Nair told ESPNCricinfo. "He didn't want us to feel that way. The first message we got was 'this isn't a young team, this is a gun team and everyone must feel it from within'. The messaging within the group was that everyone plays for the team and supports each other. It's one thing for the coach or the captain to say it, but to feel it was amazing."
Nair was not at his best in the comeback series, scoring 205 runs from eight innings at an average of 25.62, including a solitary fifty.
Nair lauds Gill’s captaincy
The 33-year-old lauded Gill for leading from the front, filling the big shoes of Kohli at no.4. He did not just lead but ended the series with 754 runs at an average of 75.40, including four centuries. Nair lauded Gil for having a clear communication with the team.
"The way Shubman held everyone together and the encouragement he gave was great to see. He was crystal clear with his communication from the beginning. To achieve what he did as a batter, while also leading the team...as a leader, he exemplified the spirit of Gauti bhai,” he said.
Nair’s next expected appearance in Test cricket
India’s next Test assignment is at home against West Indies. The two-Test series will be played in first half of October. The first Test will begin on October 6 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. The second Test will commence on October 10 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. It will be interesting to see if Nair retains his place in the side, especially considering his record in domestic cricket.
He sustained an injury in his index finger and is yet to begin practice at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. He injury ruled him out of Duleep Trophy 2025. He will miss a few fixtures of Maharaja Trophy T20 2025 as well.
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