Having earned a recall to the Indian side through consistent and impressive performances in domestic cricket, Karun Nair's return has not yet translated into significant scores in the ongoing Test series against England. Beginning the series at number six in the batting order during the Headingley Test, Nair was subsequently promoted to the crucial number three position for the Edgbaston match.
Despite showing glimpses of his potential across three appearances, Nair has been unable to convert his starts into substantial contributions, thereby placing his position within the team under scrutiny. Commentator and former India cricketer Murali Kartik acknowledged the journey Nair undertook to regain his place in the side but voiced his concerns regarding his performance in the current series.
There will be a lot of pressure on Karun Nair: Murali Kartik
Nair's performance in the current series hasn't been promising. Across six innings, Nair has amassed just 131 runs at an average 21.83 with his highest score being 40 runs. In the first three matches, his individual scores were 0, 20, 31, 26, 40, and 14, achieved at a strike rate of 52.61. With the promising 23-year-old Sai Sudharsan waiting for an opportunity, it appears that time might be running out for Nair to secure his place in the playing eleven for the fourth against England Test which is set to start from July 23 in Manchester.
Kartik was critical of Nair's failure to capitalise on his opportunities, especially after being promoted up the batting order. He cautioned Nair about the mounting pressure he would likely face following a disappointing showing in the initial three Test matches.
“Karun Nair banged and broke the door, did everything, and made a comeback. That is why he has been in the 11 as well. But from No.5 or 6, he was shifted up to No.3 as he has experience. Given the number of runs he scored, he got a chance because of that. But has he grabbed the opportunity so far? I don’t think so, and there will be a lot of pressure on him,” Kartik said on the Cricbuzz Chatter show.
“Will India look at continuity? They should. Because if you are playing any player with some logic, you want the player to prove that right. But it is also important to see if the player has converted the runs based on the experience. Has he done it? maybe not. So it will be interesting to see what Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill think about him for the next game,” Kartik further added.
It will be interesting to see whether Indian team management will give another chance to Nair or will drop him from their playing XI for the fourth Test against England.