Watch: Karun Nair totally devastated after failing badly on Test comeback, gets slammed by fans

The 33-year-old India National Cricket Team batsman Karun Nair didn't have a memorable return to the Test team after eight years and would be hoping for a better performance in the upcoming matches.

Day 4 of the first Test match between the India National Cricket Team and the England National Cricket Team is currently under at Headingley in Leeds on Monday, June 23.

Also Read: Watch: KL Rahul's middle-stump destroyed by Brydon Carse on Day 4 of the Headingley Test

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Karun Nair fails badly on Test comeback

Nair was dropped from the Test side after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2017 and had to stay away from the Indian team for so long that many felt he would never don the Test jersey again.

However, the right-handed batter was not done yet, and he went on a hard grind in domestic cricket to give himself a chance to stage a comeback.

In the 2024-25 season, he delivered exceptional performances in domestic cricket and forced the selection committee to include him in the Test squad for the series against England.

He was straightforwardly drafted into the India XI for the first Test against the Ben Stokes-led side, returning to the team after 3006 days (8 years 86 days), which is one of the longest gaps between two Test appearances.

In the first innings, Karun Nair came out to bat after the dismissal of Shubman Gill and had a horrible outing as he was cleaned up by Ben Stokes for a 4-ball duck.

Meanwhile, Nair walked out to bat in the second innings after the dismissal of centurion Rishabh Pant, and he built a crucial 46-run stand with KL Rahul.

"KL Rahul speaking with Karun Nair in Kannada. He was talking with Sai Sudharsan in Tamil and Rishabh Pant in Hindi earlier. He's not only versatile with the bat," Dinesh Karthik said on-air when Nair and Rahul were batting.

Nair's innings was brought to an end by Chris Woakes in the 86th over. Woakes bowled a full-length delivery outside off-stump and Nair played it straight back to the bowler, who completed an easy catch.

Karun Nair stood in the middle in disbelief after getting out for a 54-ball 20 and stared down at the pitch before walking off the field in disappointment.

Watch: Karun Nair totally devastated after failing badly on Test comeback

TWO IN TWO OVERS!

This time it's Woakes. Karun Nair chips it straight back to the bowler for a simple c&b 😎

🇮🇳 3️⃣3️⃣5️⃣-6️⃣ pic.twitter.com/WVN9ORME1b

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 23, 2025

Fans slam Karun Nair

This all started with the negative approach of Karun Nair. If Pant and Rahul didn't play those innings we would've lost this match today itself.

— Prantik (@Pran__07) June 23, 2025

Karun Nair is not a number 6 batsman and he doesn't have any place in top 5. So better move on, get NKR/Washington/Sarfaraz/Jurel

— Jorah (@jorah_mormont3) June 23, 2025

Karun Nair has got to prove himself soon
A total of 394 runs with a highest score 303

— Subrato Tapaswi (@subrato_tapaswi) June 23, 2025

ek bar fr karun nair ne collapse trigger kr dia #INDvsENGTest

— numb (@Numb59220178) June 23, 2025

Cricket to Karun Nair pic.twitter.com/AWpmZF6o84

— Tingus Pingis (@bent_copper) June 23, 2025

Talking about the match, Stuart Broad said on Sky Sports that India should look to score 350-360 runs. He elaborated:

“I’d probably start going through the gears a little bit now it if I was India, get to 350-360, which should be pretty easy on this surface. Then get two cracks with the new ball – one tonight and one tomorrow before the second new ball later in the day.

"If England chase 350, 360 on a pitch that is cracked, spinning and maybe up and down, then absolutely fair play to them. But you want to dangle a carrot and make England feel they can win it. Just back your bowlers to set the tone - and take your catches."

Meanwhile, Michael Atherton slammed England's tactics as unusual. He explained:

"England's tactics were unusual at the start of the second session as Stokes went quite defensive and there were no slips in place. The vast majority of wickets at Headingley come in the slips and there weren't any when Pant edged two. India pressed the accelerator after that and put the hammer down."