Triple century, dropped without explanation, comeback after 8 yrs: Karun Nair and England's story is of guns and roses
England has been eternally connected to Karun Nair's brief yet eventful journey in international cricket. Nine years later, it has again given him a lifeline.
It was against England that, in Mohali in November 2016, he made his Test debut as a starry-eyed 24-year-old. A gorgeous stroke for four, his first scoring stroke, was followed by a terrible mix-up and a heartbreaking run-out when his captain, Virat Kohli, left him for dead. Three weeks later, in the final game of that same five-match series, Karun Nair produced a stunning riposte, unexpectedly gatecrashing into the elite list of Test triple-centurions with an extraordinary unbeaten 303 in Chennai – he still remains only the second Indian to score 300 in a Test innings, after Virender Sehwag (twice).
That ought to have been the start of a glorious run in the five-day game. Instead, the right-hander who was born in Jodhpur and played most of his cricket for Karnataka before moving to Vidarbha two seasons back, figured in just three Tests thereafter, playing himself out of the XI after efforts of 26, 0, 23 and 5 against Australia at home in March 2017.
He was still in the reckoning, travelling to England in the summer of 2018 as one of the middle-order hopefuls. There came the unkindest cut of all. Even though he was in the original squad, mid-series reinforcement Hanuma Vihari was handed his debut at The Oval in the final Test, stroking a fluent 56 and cementing his place for the immediate future. As for Karun, he was dropped like a hot potato, with no explanation.
Karun Nair and England
Left to his own devices, Karun hit a trough. From being Karnataka’s captain, he was left to warm the benches until England – where else? – threw him a lifeline. Drafted in by Northamptonshire for the 2023 county season, he smashed 249 runs in three games at 83 and returned to the same team the following year, when he stacked up 487 runs in 11 matches.
Between the two stints with Northants, Karun made a domestic switch, moving to Vidarbha as a professional. That catalysed the turnaround which has compelled the national selectors to bring him back into the Test squad after seven years. Test squad to do battle where? England, of course.
There is no doubting the veracity of the vocal claims Karun has been making with the bat over the last couple of seasons. The crowning glory came in the season gone by, when he smashed 863 in the Ranji Trophy in nine matches, four hundreds, average 53.93; in the final against Kerala which Vidarbha won on the basis of their first-innings lead, he weighed in with 86 and 135. This, on the back of an extraordinary 779 runs in eight innings in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy where Vidarbha lost to his original home, Karnataka, in the final meant he didn’t just knock on the doors of national selection, he practically broke them down like VVS Laxman had done nearly a quarter of a century ago, after being dropped from the Test side despite slotting in admirably as a makeshift opener.
In December 2022, in a plaintive message on Twitter (now X), Karun had pleaded with ‘dear cricket’ to give him ‘one more chance’. His chance is here. He is 33, an age where batters are close to their peak. He has 114 first-class appearances to his name. He has had prolonged recent taste of conditions in England, thanks to his two stints with Northants totalling 10 matches. He is in prime form, striking the ball beautifully, having found a mental balance that had perhaps deserted him in the immediacy of the snub in England in 2018. He is assured, composed, poised, aware of his strengths and mindful of the weaknesses that he is assiduously working on. His takedown of Jasprit Bumrah on his IPL return earlier this season was breathtaking, yes, but also indicative of the surge of confidence that suggests that he is no longer overawed by reputation.
As India slip into the post-Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli era under a new, young captain, Karun and his former Karnataka teammate KL Rahul loom as the two most experienced batting hands within the squad that will be expected to supplement and complement the dynamic and youthful leadership duo of Shubman Gill and his deputy, Rishabh Pant. Karun has been a strong and successful captain himself, no longer the shy young man of seven years back whose reticence was conveniently construed as ‘attitude’ issues.
His reintegration with Test cricket hasn’t come about by accident; Karun has worked his backside off to get to where he is today. It’s now time to cash in, to make up for missed opportunities. And to solidify his Karmic connection with England. Over to you, Karun.
