Will India stick with Karun Nair : Former cricketer discusses options after defeat in Lord’s

Samira Vishwas

Tezzbuzz|16-07-2025

Overview:

On the other hand, Sudharsan failed to score in his first innings in Leeds, but he impressed with a knock of 30 runs off 48 balls in the second innings.

Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan weighed in on the possible changes India might consider after their loss to England in the third Test. He focused on potential alterations, especially regarding Karun Nair and the No. 3 batting position.

Irfan raised the question of whether India would stick with Karun or bring back Sai Sudharsan. Sudharsan made his debut during the opening Test at Leeds but was excluded from the team right after that match.

Karun Nair has managed only 131 runs from six innings, with no half-century to his name. His comeback to the team, following an eight-year break, has not unfolded as expected. On the other hand, Sudharsan failed to score in his first innings in Leeds, but he impressed with a knock of 30 runs off 48 balls in the second innings.

“Karun Nair has had opportunities in three matches. The question now is whether they’ll continue with him at No. 3 or opt for a left-handed batter. England hasn’t been as effective against left-handed batters. Pant has scored two centuries, and Jadeja has followed up with back-to-back fifties. Could Sai Sudharsan make a return? India will definitely consider this,” he said on his YouTube channel.

The former all-rounder advised India to ignore workload management, citing Bumrah as an example. Before the series, it was planned for him to play three out of five Tests. Having played two, it’s uncertain if he will feature in the next or last match. With a nine-day gap before the fourth Test, Pathan believes Bumrah must play, especially with India 1-2 down and the series at stake.

“There’s a nine-day break. Can they set aside the workload management talk for now, because winning the series is the priority? The bowling has been solid Bumrah and Siraj are both in great form. Akash Deep seemed a bit fatigued and struggled with the slope, but he’ll have time to recover. However, it’s important not to get desperate. If you do, you might run into problems,” he added.