For Karun Nair, the ongoing Test series in England was meant to be a fresh start—a chance to revive a career that once held so much promise. He had hoped to bury the painful memories of India’s 2018 tour, when despite being part of the squad, he was left out in favor of Hanuma Vihari mid-series. But three matches into his comeback, Karun hasn’t made the kind of impact that could secure his long-term place in the team.
He hasn’t looked out of form, yet his scores haven’t made headlines either. In a series where batters from both sides have scored freely, Karun stands out for the wrong reasons he is the only top-four batter from either team who hasn’t even scored a half-century. After six innings, his total stands at 131 runs with an average of 21.83, his best being 40—a fluent knock at Lord’s that ended with a spectacular catch by Joe Root in the slips.
In his final innings on Day 4 at Lord’s, Karun was out leg before wicket after not offering a shot to a sharp delivery from Brydon Carse. It was a disappointing end to an innings that had the potential to be so much more. These kinds of dismissals—freak catches, tricky deliveries—often plague players trying to make a comeback. It’s as if fate wants to test how badly they want it, measuring their mental strength and determination.
Right now, Karun Nair is walking a tightrope. One or two poor scores might be excused. But a string of underwhelming innings, despite looking composed at the crease, is hard to overlook.
Interestingly, Karun doesn’t seem nervous or out of place. He’s not appeared rattled or unprepared. On good batting pitches in the first two Tests, he looked at ease—except for his opening innings at Headingley. Still, that one match-defining innings that could reignite his Test career has remained just out of reach.
Karun’s unbeaten 303 against England in Chennai back in 2016 should have propelled him to greater heights. Instead, that milestone has become a burden—one that hangs heavy around his neck. Since that historic triple century, he has struggled to secure a consistent spot in the team.
His strong domestic performances for Vidarbha and county cricket stints with Northamptonshire earned him another shot, even though the new team leadership was keen to move away from past selections. But when Karun rejoined the Test squad for this England tour, he had to mentally let go of his 303 and focus on earning a place purely on current form.
In his return innings at Headingley, it was easy to understand his eagerness to get off the mark. He chased a wide ball from Ben Stokes, only for Ollie Pope to dive spectacularly and dismiss him for a duck. It was a harsh way to restart his Test journey. Since then, Karun has had starts 20, 31, 26, 40, and 14 but has failed to build any of them into a significant score.
After the drama-filled Day 5 at Lord’s, where India needs 135 runs and England six wickets to go 2-1 up, the teams will have a break before the fourth Test in Manchester on July 23. This gap will give Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir time to assess Karun’s place in the team.
They must decide whether to stick with Karun who hasn’t looked bad, just unlucky or bring back Sai Sudharsan, the left-hander who made scores of 0 and 30 on debut in Leeds. One perspective might suggest Karun deserves another chance because he has shown composure at the crease. The other viewpoint could be that Sudharsan represents the future, and it might be time to invest in youth.
Whatever decision is made, it will be guided by what’s best for the team. Karun may feel disappointed if he’s dropped, but he will likely accept that his performances didn’t force the selectors to back him. That’s the brutal reality of international cricket—sometimes, even your best isn’t enough.
