'What crime have Karun Nair or Sai Sudharsan committed?': Harbhajan Singh wants equal chances for them as Shubman Gill & KL Rahul

Ahead of India's fourth Test match against England at the Old Trafford (Manchester), the focus is on the visitors' playing XI, as Karun Nair who has failed to convert starts into big scores. Legendary off-spinner Harbhajan Singh thinks that the team management should persist with Karun in the fourth Test even though he has not lived up to expectations.

Nair stormed back into the India setup after eight years on the back of a stellar domestic season. However, on the ongoing England tour, he has only managed 131 runs across six innings, including a duck.

Meanwhile, Sai Sudarshan was dropped after getting his debut cap in the series opener. On the other hand, Kuldeep Yadav has not played a single Test match in the series.

Harbhajan wants more chances for Nair and Sudharsan, similar to the long rope given to current Test captain Shubman Gill and veteran batter KL Rahul.

“It’s right that Karun hasn’t scored runs but if you’ve given him chances, then persist with him (now). He may have not scored runs as per expectations but he’s a good cricketer. I think every player deserves a fair chance. Shubman Gill, KL Rahul – they all (were given chances) deserved. The benchmark should be the same for everyone. If others are getting 5-6 chances, then what crime have Karun Nair or Sai Sudharsan committed (to have not gotten more chances)?" Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.

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India are currently trailing the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy by 1-2. But, the scoreline is not the only thing which is concerning for them right now, as they are also dealing with injury setbacks, which can hamper their chances of leveling the series at Manchester.

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One change for Manchester Test

The 45 year- old thinks India should consider including Kuldeep Yadav for their all-important Test that starts from July 23.

Kuldeep last played a Test match in 2024 against New Zealand at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Kuldeep has not been preferred in overseas conditions. Since making his Test debut way back in 2017 at Dharamsala, he has played only 13 Tests.

“Bring in Kuldeep Yadav. You don’t need a deep batting line-up here. You’ve Washington Sundar, Jaddu is your backbone. He has batted really well throughout the series," he said.

He also felt that one Test was not enough for Sudharsan to prove his talent. The 23-year-old batter made 0 and 30 in Leeds before being omitted from the playing XI.

“I don’t think one chance for Sai Sudharsan was justified to prove his talent. He’s a talented player and will come good but if you are persisting with Karun, they play him (in Manchester)," Harbhajan concluded.