Karun Nair's long road back to Indian Test squad

New Delhi, May 24 (IANS) "Dear cricket, give me one more chance": On December 10, 2022, Karun Nair pleaded with the cricketing gods for him to get one more opportunity to play in the Indian national team. Over two-and-a-half years later, he has been recalled into the Test setup for a date with destiny, after being out of the Test squad for nearly 3000 days, and that too for India's tour of England, the toughest challenge for any overseas batter.

The 33-year-old batter, however, is not one to stand down in the face of adversity.

With a story unlike many others, Nair made his Test debut in the third Test against England in Mohali in 2016, just a few months after he faced a near-death accident in July 2016, when a snake boat carrying approximately 100 people capsized in the Pampa River in Kerala during a temple festival.

Nair, who was always a top-order batter, was brought in at No. 6 and only managed to conjure scores of 4 and 12 under his belt in his first two outings.

In a country like India, where a dozen players are always waiting in the pipeline for their opportunity, Nair knew he had to turn things around, and he did in historic style.

After Moeen Ali’s 146 and Joe Root’s 88, which propelled England to 477 in the first innings of the fifth Test in Chennai, Nair walked into bat with India at 211/3, with Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli being dismissed in quick succession.

Nair was not going to let the opportunity go begging as he became the first batter to convert his maiden Test century into a triple hundred. His 303* was a sign of his resilience and durability.

Every young batter dreams of scoring a century for his country, but an elusive triple hundred was unprecedented. Following his second series, with scores of 26, 0, 23, and 5 against Australia at home in March 2017, Nair was left out, and there were no signs that promised his return.

In a cricketing powerhouse like India, where you will find aspiring batters at every nook and corner, Nair was left behind, with India continuing to surge under Virat Kohli and becoming one of the best Test-playing nations with his knock of 303, a distant memory.

The ruthlessness of cricket has seen many promising players exchange their playing career for perhaps one behind the mic, but Nair remained determined and decided to give it his all at the domestic level.

For the next four years, Nair continued to grit it out for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy but was not in the conversation to break through to the India squad following inconsistent performances.

It was not until 2023 that Nair decided to actively make a change which began with him exchanging Karnataka for Vidarbha. In his first season with the team, he scored 690 runs in 10 games and followed it with 863 runs in nine Ranji Trophy games in 2024 with four centuries, including one in the finals which carved the way for Vidarbha to lift the trophy.

He also showed signs of power-hitting in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, amassing 779 runs in just eight innings, including five centuries, which prompted the Delhi Capitals to pick him in the 2024 IPL Mega Auction for INR 50 lakh.

Despite having an underwhelming season with the Capitals, which began with Nair warming the bench in the opening four games, the right-handed batter scored a scintillating 89 off 40 deliveries.

Nair's inclusion in the India side for the England tour, prompted by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s retirement, may also have to do with his incredible performance in the 2024 County Championship, scoring 487 runs in seven games at an average of 48.70, including a double century.

India’s all-important Test series against England runs from June 20 to August 4, with Headingley, Edgbaston, Lord’s, Old Trafford and The Oval being the venues. India are aiming to win a Test series in England for the first time since 2007.

--IANS

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