England vs India: 3 Reasons why Karun Nair should be excluded from 4th Test

After more than eight years, Karun Nair made a spectacular comeback to Test cricket by being called up due to his impressive domestic and India A performances, which included a double century against the England Lions. Given his prior triple hundred in Test matches, his return inspired hope.

But his difficulties have been made clear by the current series against England. Nair has only scored 131 runs in six innings without hitting any fifties, falling to known bowling patterns time and time again without turning starts into runs.

Here are 3 Reasons why Karun Nair should be excluded from the 4th England vs India Test:

1. Continued failure to convert starts into big scores

Throughout the current Test series, Karun Nair has continuously failed to capitalize after getting good starts. His failure to score more than runs or give stability has become a concerning trend, even though he typically reaches double figures in innings. He hasn't had much of an impact when India needed steadiness, with his highest score of 40 in six innings.

In addition to hurting India's middle-order momentum, this persistent inconsistency has increased pressure on the middle-order batters. Because of his early dismissals, other batters who have come in after him have often had to endure difficult situations. Such application errors can be expensive in Test cricket, particularly when up against a shrewd English assault.

2. England bowlers expose technical shortcomings

It has become obvious that Karun Nair's technique has huge flaws that England bowlers have exploited to their advantage. Both short deliveries and inswingers have dismissed him, demonstrating his unease with the rising and moving ball. Soft dismissals have occurred frequently as a result of poor footwork and judgment.

These deficiencies have been successfully utilized by England's speed attack, which includes Carse, Stokes, and Woakes. Nair's failure to thwart such attempts in several tests indicates that there may still be technological issues. Karun’s weaknesses have been brutally exposed in high-stakes situations, and it seems India cannot afford to carry players like him with vulnerabilities in their batting techniques.

3. Keeping a struggling Karun Nair in XI unfair to other talents likes Sai Sudharsan and Abhimanyu Easwaran

Keeping Karun Nair on board can prevent opportunities to develop players who are on the waiting list. Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan are two talented players who need a fair and extended run because they have been scoring a lot in domestic cricket. India can't test their bench strength if they keep a struggling batter in the starting lineup.

Giving young, talented players a chance at home also enables them to establish themselves early in their careers. It might be time to explore new faces now that Nair isn't delivering. In a rigorous test schedule, rotation is essential to preserving freshness and long-term bench depth.

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