NEW DELHI: With India trailing 1-2 in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and the fourth Test at Old Trafford looming large, selection debates have intensified, especially around Karun Nair’s place in the XI. Former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu has openly questioned Nair’s inclusion, urging the team management to give promising youngster Sai Sudharsan another opportunity.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Nair, making a highly anticipated comeback to Test cricket after eight years, has failed to make a mark, scoring just 131 runs in six innings at an average of 21.83. Despite showing glimpses of his strokeplay, the 33-year-old has not been able to convert starts into match-defining innings.
“Karun Nair has played three Test matches. He is a very promising cricketer, but his technical weakness has been exposed,” Sidhu said on his YouTube channel. “The big question is whether you will go to win or to build a team. When you think of winning, I think what is the fault of Sai Sudharsan?”
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Sidhu also praised Sudharsan’s recent form, saying: “You have one of the most promising players of India who won the Orange Cap. Yes, there is no connection whatsoever between IPL and Test cricket, but he was in form. Technically, one of the soundest low-gravity batsmen, whose hand-eye co-ordination and head is always completely above the toe, and a left-hander. Why shouldn’t he come to the team?”23-year-old Sudharsan made his Test debut in the first match of the series, scoring 0 and 30, and has been benched since.
However, India captain Shubman Gill came out in support of Nair, expressing confidence in his abilities. “He didn’t bat at his number in the first game and we have had conversations with him, and he will turn it around,” Gill said during the pre-match press conference.Gill emphasised that Nair remains an integral part of the batting group, especially after the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the format.With India facing a must-win scenario, the team’s middle-order combination will be under the scanner — and Nair’s performance, if picked, could well define his second coming.
