Karun Nair played another strong inningsImage Credit source: PTI
The Kolkata Test match proved to be very bad for the Indian team. Team India, which came to play Test on this ground after 6 years, was defeated by South Africa by 30 runs in the very first match of the series. World Test champion South Africa gave a target of 124 runs to Team India on the third day of the match but Team India could not do so and was all out for just 93 runs. Here, after such performance, the team’s batting came under question. On the other hand, experienced batsman Karun Nair, who was dropped from the team, took a jibe at the selectors without saying anything by single-handedly scoring more runs than Team India’s score.
On Sunday, 16 December, it was only the third day of the Test match at the Eden Gardens Stadium, when South Africa started progressing its second innings. Captain Temba Bavuma scored a strong half-century but the team collapsed for 153 runs. Bavuma was the only batsman to score a half-century in this match. Team India got the target of 124 runs but without captain Shubman Gill, it could score only 93 runs and lost by 39 runs.
Another strong innings from Karun Nair
Since then, the entire batting order of Team India is under question and the target of fans. Now call it a coincidence that on Sunday, when the Indian batsmen were failing to face the South African spinners, the next round of Ranji Trophy had started in different parts of the country. Now see the coincidence, Karun Nair, who was not selected in the team for this series and the earlier West Indies Test series, was also playing in the matches of this round. While the batsmen of Team India were losing wickets one by one, Nair Chandigarh was showing the power of his bat and taking Karnataka forward.
However, on one hand Team India could not complete its 100 runs and on the other hand Karun Nair also could not do the same. But a big difference was visible here because 10 batsmen of Team India together could score only 93 runs. Karun Nair alone made more than this. This experienced batsman from Karnataka single-handedly scored 2 runs more than Team India and returned to the pavilion after getting out on the score of 95 runs.
Drop from the team again after England tour
This innings of Nair was very special for him because through it he replied to the selectors that he still had a lot of cricket left in him and he should have been given at least one more chance. Nair was selected for Team India on the England tour just a few months ago. When did he return after a long wait of 8 years? However, this comeback was not good for Nair and he could score only 205 runs. Only after this he was not selected for the Allaf Test series of West Indies and now South Africa.