ENG vs IND: How Karun Nair is making the most of his second chance? Explained

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Karun Nair's second chance at glory

As the Indian cricket community is busy with the ongoing IPL, Karun Nair is making a statement with his impressive showing for India A in the first four-day match against England Lions at St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury.

After ending Day 1 with an unbeaten 186, Karun Nair completed his double century on Day 2, making a statement ahead of India’s Test series against England. Nair played a brilliant innings of 204 off 281 balls, including 26 fours and 1 six, to help India A post a first innings total of 557. After being added to the India squad for the upcoming five-match Test series, Karun Nair has proved to the selectors why he deserves a place in the squad.

How cricket gave Karun Nair a second chance and how he is making the most of it?

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Took a bold step for career revival

Karun Nair was playing for his state team, Karnataka, in domestic cricket until he received a big setback after being dropped from the team ahead of the 2022/23 season, sensing his career might be done. However, the 34-year-old took a bold step by leaving his state team and moving to Vidarbha, where he witnessed his career flourishing again with his impressive performance in the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. In the Ranji Trophy, Karun played a pivotal role in Vidarbha’s title win against the first-time finalists Kerala.

In addition to his performance in domestic cricket, Karun Nair plied his trade for Northamptonshire in the County Championship, amassing 736 runs at an average of 56.61 across two seasons. Last season, Nair was quite impressive as he amassed 487 runs, including a double century against Glamorgan, at an average of 48 in 11 innings.

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Mature batting approach

One of the things that changed for Karun Nair was his more composed and mature batting style. In the last domestic season, Karun Nair anchored the innings for Vidarbha in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Ranji Trophy. His ability to assess the situations of the match and pace the innings stood out, which eventually led to his selection for the England Test series. Nair led the team’s batting with a more calculated and aggressive approach, meeting the demands of modern-day cricket.

His maturity and change in batting approach can be evidenced in his incredible 204-run innings for India A against England Lions, where he was not only anchoring the innings but also built partnerships with Sarfaraz Khan (92) and Dhruv Jurel (94) to stabilize the innings and help India post a commanding total on the board in the first innings. That knock showcased Karun’s ability to rotate the strike smartly and switch the gears when needed.

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Technical adjustments against spin and swing

The veteran Indian batter has worked extensively on his technique against spin and swing, the two areas that led to his downfall previously. Karun Nair refined his stance and began to play closer to his body, and improved his footwork to neutralize turn and seam movement. His improvement was on display during the first innings of India A batting against England Lions. Nair’s footwork was sharp, decisive against spin and pace alike, and his judgement outside the off-stump delivery was pristine, helping him leave deliveries on merit and play under his eyes.

When it comes to the swing ball, Karun Nair adopted an interesting method that helped him to counter the moving ball more effectively. In the first innings, Nair opened the face of the bat slightly when a pacer delivered a swinging ball and played with soft hands despite the ball landing in line with the stumps. These two technical adjustments gave Team India plenty to ponder as they prepare for a new era in Test cricket following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

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Behind-the-scenes effort in making a comeback

Karun Nair is currently in a redemption mode with his scintillating performance in the Ranji Trophy and the ongoing first four-day Test against England Lions. There was a lot of effort and hard work that went behind the scenes, which had gone unnoticed. The comeback was not an easy journey for Nair, who dropped from the India squad despite scoring a triple century and then losing faith with the Karnataka cricket selectors.

To make a comeback, Karun Nair worked closely with his U-25 coach, Vijay Kumar Madhyalkar, and trained rigorously, working on his fitness and skills. The veteran Indian batter faced 600 balls every other day for 6 months at an academy in Bangalore, practicing in the nets for 3 hours to rebuild his technique, temperament, and confidence. He also created a WhatsApp group called 'Comeback Season' with his coach and trainer to discuss strategies.

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IPL comeback boosted his confidence and visibility

After a gap of 1057 days, Karun Nair made a brilliant comeback to the Indian Premier League, scoring a scintillating 89 off 40 balls for Delhi Capitals against Mumbai Indians in New Delhi. And notably, Nair smashed MI lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah for 26 runs in just nine deliveries and showcased his aggressive strokeplay and ability to handle pressure at the highest level.

This performance has not only boosted his confidence and brought him back into the limelight but also earned a recall to the India Test squad for the series against England. After a gap of eight years, Karun Nair found himself in the squad for the England Test tour, courtesy of his hard work and dedication.

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Eye on the spot in India’s top-order

As Karun Nair has been added to the India squad for the England Test series, and then came up with an impressive performance in the first innings of India A batting against England Lions at Canterbury, he is firmly putting his case forward for a permanent spot in India’s top order. With KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal likely to be openers and Shubman Gill to take the No.4 spot left by Virat Kohli, Karun Nair has his eyes set on the No.3 position.

However, Nair faces stiff competition from Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan, who are also aiming for a spot in the top order. The 34-year-old can also be slotted to the middle-order, especially at No.5, where he can provide stability to India’s batting and anchor the innings. It remains to be seen how team management balances experience and youth, but Karun Nair’s consistent performances and adaptability in English conditions make him a strong contender for a role in India’s batting line-up for a Test series against England.