As the Indian batting line-up crumbled dramatically on Day 3 of the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati, out-of-favour batter Karun Nair posted a cryptic message on social media that immediately sent shockwaves across the cricketing fraternity. The timing of the post has been widely interpreted as a subtle but powerful expression of the 33-year-old’s frustration over his continued exclusion from the national squad, despite a staggering run of form in domestic cricket.

Karun Nair’s cryptic message amid India’s batting collapse

The controversy stems from India’s dismal first-innings reply to South Africa’s commanding total of 489. After a respectable start, the Indian middle-order disintegrated, plummeting from 95/2 to a precarious 122/7, before eventually being dismissed for 201. The sequence of dismissals, featuring players like Sai Sudharsan (15), Dhruv Jurel (0), and Rishabh Pant (7), highlighted a glaring fragility in India’s batting unit on home soil.

It was against this backdrop of on-field disaster that Nair took to X (formerly Twitter), posting the enigmatic message: “Some conditions carry a feel you know by heart — and the silence of not being out there adds its own sting.”

The post instantly went viral, resonating deeply with fans who have long campaigned for the inclusion of the only other Indian Test triple-centurion besides Virender Sehwag.

The conversation was further amplified when former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin responded to Nair’s tweet with a brief but loaded reply: “Hello [hey man] followed by a laughing emoji.”

South Africa in commanding position after Marco Jansen’s bowling brilliance

Day 3 belonged emphatically to South Africa, who tightened their vice-like grip on the Test match. Resuming their first innings at 9/0, India’s openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahulstarted steadily, putting on a 65-run stand. However, the moment Rahul fell to Keshav Maharajthe innings suffered a monumental collapse.

The middle-order was then ripped apart by the towering left-arm quick Marco Jansenwho was the wrecker-in-chief, finishing with figures of 6 for 48. India lost four wickets for just seven runs, tumbling from a stable 95/1 to a desperate 102/4 by the Tea break. This included the wickets of Sai Sudharsan (15), Dhruv Jurel (0), and a rash shot from stand-in captain Rishabh Pant (7).

India’s only notable resistance came from a gritty 72-run partnership between Washington Sundar (48) and Kuldeep Yadav (19), who showcased the application the top-order lacked. However, their defiance merely delayed the inevitable, and India were eventually bundled out for just 201, conceding a massive 288-run first-innings lead. South Africa, opting not to enforce the follow-on, extended their dominance by ending the day at 26/0, pushing their overall lead to a daunting 314 runs.