India’s discarded batter Karun Nair shared a cryptic post on his social media amidst India’s batting collapse on Day 3 of the second Test against South Africa at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati.
“Some conditions carry a feel you know by heart — and the silence of not being out there adds its own sting,” Nair wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
On Day 3, India went from 95/1 to 122/7. Sai Sudharsan scored 15 whereas Shubman Gill's replacement at no.4, Dhruv Jurel departed for a seven-ball duck. Stand-in skipper Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja departed for single-digit scores whereas Nitish Kumar Reddy managed to score 10 runs.
Nair in terrific form on Karnataka return
Nair has done well of late in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2025-26. Before the break for white-ball cricket, Nair on his return to Karnataka scored 602 runs from seven innings at an average of 100.33, including two centuries and as many fifties.
Nair is fourth on the list of leading run-scorers in the season. For Karnataka, he is slightly ahead of Smaran Ravichandran who has scored 595 runs from as many innings.
Why was Nair dropped from Test squad?
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said that he expected more from a player of Nair’s stature on his comeback tour of England. Nair signed off the England tour with a gritty half-century. While no.3 is his preferred position, he batted at no.6 as well.
After getting dropped from the Test squad for West Indies series, Nair had said that he expected more than one series to prove his mettle. He continues to be a prolific run-scorer in home conditions.
The no.3 conundrum continues
Since Nair has been dropped, many have criticised Sudharsan. When he registered his Test career best 87 against West Indies, he was dropped in the Test against South Africa. In the previous Test, Washington Sundar was promoted to no.3. Sundar scored most runs for India in the Eden Gardens Test only to be pushed back to no.8 for Guwahati Test, marking Sudharsan's return from the bench.