Karun Nair's horror show in nets forces coach to intervene before 1st Test against England

Karun Nair was recalled into the Indian Test squad after a stellar domestic season, where he scored a plethora of runs in both the Ranji Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. However, Nair seemed to be in considerable discomfort during the penultimate net session ahead of the first Test against England.

Karun Nair has played six Tests for India since his debut in 2016. He is only the second Indian batter, after Virender Sehwag, to score a triple century in Test cricket. Nair scored an unbeaten 303 against England in Chennai in December 2016. He amassed 374 runs in seven innings during his previous stint with India.

Karun Nair Struggles Against Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in Net Session

Karun Nair strengthened his case for a place in India’s Test XI by scoring a double century in an India A match. However, according to a report by RevSportz, Nair did not look at his best during India’s penultimate training session ahead of the Headingley Test.

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The 33-year-old appeared short on confidence, especially while facing Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in the nets. Both pacers tested him with deliveries outside the off stump.

"Nair appeared slightly under-confident in the nets. Starting off at the pacers' net, he struggled against the pace and accuracy of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, who bowled with intensity and control. Deliveries outside off stump caused him trouble, leading to several tentative defensive strokes," read the report.

Karun Nair Dismissed Multiple Times in Nets, Including Clean Bowled by Ravindra Jadeja

Karun Nair continued to struggle during India’s net session, failing to find rhythm even against the spinners. Nair looked unsettled against Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and a few local Yorkshire bowlers.

According to the report, he was dismissed multiple times in the spin nets, including a clean bowled dismissal by Jadeja. He attempted uncharacteristic shots such as reverse sweeps, which are not typically part of his natural game.

"He then moved to the spin nets, where he faced Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, along with a couple of local Yorkshire bowlers. Nair was dismissed a couple of times, including once clean bowled by Jadeja."

"In an attempt to break free, he tried a few uncharacteristic strokes — including reverse sweeps. Such strokes do not come naturally to a batter like Nair and one could clearly see that the shots were a result of the frustration building inside him."

Nair Suffers Blow to Ribs Off Prasidh Krishna in Net Session

Karun Nair’s struggles in the nets worsened when he was struck on the ribs by a sharp delivery from Prasidh Krishna. Nair chose to carry on and continue his session.

According to the report, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak later had a brief conversation with Nair, after which the batter began showing signs of improvement.

India will be hoping this was just a rare off day for the Karnataka batter, who remains in contention for a spot in the playing XI for the opening Test against England. The team is scheduled for one final training session at Headingley on Thursday.

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