Karun Nair Shines with Resilient Half-Century in Final Test Against England

Nair's Remarkable Comeback Performance

London [UK], August 1: After a rain-affected opening day of the fifth and final Test at The Oval, India's assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate praised batter Karun Nair for his impressive unbeaten half-century. Nair's ability to manage the pressure of performing well after a long absence from the Test arena was commendable, giving him a chance to achieve a significant score for the team.

Nair's determined half-century was a standout moment on the first day, allowing India to surpass the 200-run mark. He formed a crucial partnership with Washington Sundar, which will continue on day two. This series marks Nair's return to international cricket after an eight-year hiatus.

Discussing Nair's journey, who began the tour batting at number six, moved to number three for the second and third Tests, and is now at number five at The Oval, Doeschate remarked during the post-match press conference, “He started off at six in the first test and then batted at three for the other two tests. I always said, and we always thought, that his tempo and his rhythm were very good. He is a quality player, particularly for that reason that he can absorb the pressure. So going in today at a different position, again, I thought he summed up the conditions really well. Look, when someone comes back into the test side like he does after a lengthy absence, the pressure is always there, and I think he has handled that very well.”

Throughout the series, Nair has accumulated 183 runs across four Tests and seven innings, averaging 30.50, with a top score of 52*. His other scores included 0 and 20 at Leeds, 31 and 26 at Birmingham, and 40 and 14 at Lord’s. While he displayed promise in several innings, he struggled to convert those starts into substantial scores.

“Representing a country like India is never easy, and the players are accustomed to handling the pressure. Hats off to Karun. I think he has had a really good tour with that, blowing the lights out. But he has given himself a chance now, tomorrow, to get a big, meaningful score for the team,” he added.

The assistant coach noted that the conditions were favorable for Nair while batting, labeling him a “versatile” player capable of batting in various positions. “I thought six was a big ask. Six is very different from five, four, three. And given the way that we could play it and how early he got to the crease today, I think it suited him nicely. But he has never complained. The messaging is always the same. It is the team that comes first.

What job can you do for the team? And he just cracks on with it. And like everyone else, he just wants to give his best and play as much Test cricket as he can,” he concluded.

England won the toss and opted to field first. Team India struggled to form significant partnerships, with openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (2) and KL Rahul (14) dismissed early. Skipper Shubman Gill's unfortunate run-out for 21 and Sudharan's dismissal for 38 in 108 balls (including six fours) disrupted the top order, while Ravindra Jadeja (9) and Dhruv Jurel (19) faltered under pressure.

Nair (52*) and Sundar (19*) combined for a crucial 51-run partnership for the seventh wicket after India found themselves at 153/6, helping the team surpass the 200-run milestone. Gus Atkinson (2/31) and Josh Tongue (2/47) were the standout bowlers for England.