Gautam Gambhir plans to end Karun Nair's Test career forever ahead of Manchester Test
Published - 19 Jul 2025, 10:24 AM | Updated - 19 Jul 2025, 10:25 AM
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India National Cricket Team head coach Gautam Gambhir is planning to make a major change in the India Test XI for the fourth match of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025.
The Indian team management is considering a change at the No.3 position, which is currently occupied by the senior batsman Karun Nair, as per a report in the Indian Express.
Karun Nair's place under threat as Gautam Gambhir plans big move
The 33-year-old batsman Karun Nair made his comeback to the Indian Test team after performing consistently for Vidarbha in domestic cricket across formats.
He delivered exceptional performances in two seasons, scoring 1,553 and 883 runs, and as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also retired, it opened the doors for India's second triple centurion to make a return.
Karun Nair was slotted in the India playing XI from the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against the England National Cricket Team, and despite playing three matches on the trot, the batter is yet to deliver a notable performance.
He batted at the No.6 position in the first match at Headingley in Leeds, where he bagged a duck in the first innings and scored 20 runs in the second innings.
As the action moved towards Edgbaston in Birmingham, Karun Nair was promoted to No.3, and he delivered a slightly better performance, scoring 31 and 26.
Meanwhile, in the third Test match at Lord's in London, he registered his best score of 40 in the first innings, but in the second innings, he got out for 14 in a bizarre manner.
Sai Sudharsan hot favorite for the No.3 spot
When Karun Nair batted at No.6 in his comeback game, in that same match, Sai Sudharsan made his Test debut at No.3. The young batting sensation, Sai Sudharsan, looked poor in the middle in his debut outing and made 0 and 30.
He was dropped after just one game, and Nair got the opportunity to bat at the crucial No.3 spot in the top order. However, Karun Nair's inability to score big has put his place in the team under threat.
Reportedly, Gautam Gambhir-led team management is thinking whether Sai Sudharsan is a better option than Karun Nair at No.3, and a major change can be made in the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford in Manchester.
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In case Sai Sudharsan gets an opportunity and does well at No.3, the chances of Karun Nair's Test career being over are very high. It would be a similar situation to that which occurred during the 1996 England tour when a young Rahul Dravid replaced injured Sanjay Manjrekar at No.3, and established himself at that position, leading to Manjrekar's exit from the side.
It’s just a matter of one good innings for Karun - Usman Ghani
Meanwhile, Usman Ghani, the Vidarbha coach, has backed Karun Nair to bounce back from poor form.
“Karun is mentally a very strong guy and that’s a fine trait to have. It’s not easy to make a comeback in the Test team after eight years, but he did it. He has that zeal and grit. It’s just a matter of one good innings for Karun.
"He is playing well and has gotten starts. In the first innings of the Lord’s Test, he made a brilliant 40. He needs to build on that to get a bigger score to boost his confidence," Ghani told Mid-Day.
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Karun Nair Sai Sudharsan Gautam Gambhir India National Cricket Team England National Cricket Team India vs England IND vs ENGAbout the Author
Sonanchal Gautam is a dedicated sports journalist, content manager, writer, and editor with over 4 y... Read more
