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Cricket PlayersRavi Shastri pummels Karun Nair after India's defeat at Lord's: 'To leave a straight ball, a nothing ball...'
Ravi Shastri turned the heat on Karun Nair and Rishabh Pant after the loss at Lord's. Pant was run out for 74 in the first innings; Nair was lbw in the second.
The heat is firmly on Karun Nair. After former BCCI selector Devang Gandhi and former keeper Deep Dasgupta expressed serious doubts over his place in the Indian Test XI going ahead, Ravi Shastri , the former India coach pummeled him for his dismissal in the second innings at Lord's. Shastri pointed to two pivotal moments that swung the third Test at Lord’s decisively in England’s favour: Rishabh Pant’s unfortunate run-out at the stroke of lunch on Day 3, and Karun Nair’s inexplicable leave in the second innings that opened the floodgates for a dramatic Indian collapse.
India, chasing a modest target of 193, folded for 170, losing the match by just 22 runs and handing England a 2-1 lead in the five-Test series.
Speaking on The ICC Review, Shastri was candid in his assessment of India’s missed chances and didn’t hold back when discussing Karun Nair’s dismissal.
“At 40 for one (in the second innings), I thought that was a huge lapse in concentration from Karun Nair to leave a straight ball — a nothing ball — and open the door for England,” Shastri said. “The timing of that dismissal turned things around.”
The Indian top-order, Shastri believes, lacked the mental resolve needed in the dying moments of a tightly contested match. "If the top order had just been a little tougher and mentally stronger on Day 4, towards the end, this game would have been India's," he added.
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England, trailing for much of the contest, found momentum thanks to an alert Ben Stokes, whose sharp fielding ended Rishabh Pant’s gritty knock of 74 in the first innings. Pant, who had revived India’s hopes with a counter-attacking effort, was run out just before lunch — a moment Shastri called the game’s true turning point.
“Ben Stokes… simply outstanding presence of mind to hit at the right end and pull it off on the stroke of lunch,” he said. “Because India would have got a lead and they were in the driver's seat. That was the turning point for me.”
Pant’s run-out halted India’s momentum, while Nair’s lapse in the second innings shattered their chase. From 42 for two, India nosedived to 82 for seven, handing England the upper hand.
Shastri, who was part of India's famous Lord’s victory in 2021 as coach, noted the similarities but also highlighted the missed opportunity. “It reminded me so much of that 2021 Test. But this time it was England who pounced. With a little bit of luck, India could have been 3-0 up in this series.”
Despite the setback, Shastri remained optimistic about India’s chances, pointing to their resilience and depth. “Anything can happen. India can bounce back straight away and if that happens, The Oval will be a thriller.”
But the former coach also praised England skipper Ben Stokes, who bowled a marathon 24 overs and took three crucial wickets, including KL Rahul's.
“You have to compliment England. When the going got tough, those moments they seized,” Shastri said. “Stokes bowling those spells… 10 overs towards the end to clinch it for England. That’s what champions do.”
As the series heads to Manchester for the fourth Test starting July 23, the onus will be on India to regroup and respond. But for now, questions remain — and Karun Nair’s judgment at a critical juncture is firmly under the spotlight.
