Team India batter Karun Nair emerged as the top run-getter for the visitors in the first innings of their fifth Test against England, recording his first half-century in international cricket after nine years. The 33-year-old batter scored 57 runs off 109 balls in a knock comprising eight fours, enabling the Indian team to post a total of 224 after being reduced to 153/6 at one point.Live Score: India vs England“Karun used all the pain and frustration of being sidelined as fuel to score those valuable runs in very challenging conditions. There was a lot of stoppage in play and the situation was quite intense as well. It is very unfortunate that he was sidelined for such a long period of time after scoring a triple century. Karun had to fight for nine years to get back into the team, re-entering the setup at the age of 33. Failure would have resulted in his chances of getting another opportunity going down to zero. That puts a lot of pressure on a player. Performing in such a scenario showcases how mentally tough Karun is,” said the cricketer’s former coach Sanath Kumar during an exclusive interaction with TimesofIndia.com.
“There are so many players who have not done anything but still they got a lot of chances. Karun got a triple hundred but enjoyed no backing at all. That was ridiculous in my opinion. I just asked Karun to enjoy the process and take it one ball at a time during the ongoing series. Thinking about aspects which are out of your control doesn’t serve any purpose. Karun has always looked to bounce back strongly. I observed this when RCB didn’t pick him in the recent IPL auction and DC invested in his services instead. Karun simply said, ‘I will show why RCB is going to miss me’. As a Bangalorean, you always wish to play for RCB. Unfortunately, they never pick Karnataka-based players,” added the former Karnataka head coach.
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Karun’s current coach Vijayakumar Madyalkar stated that the cricketer simply focused on refining his skills as a batter rather than looking to make large-scale changes, during training sessions before the ongoing Test series.“We never spoke about when he will get a chance. The sole focus was on working hard and refining his batting skills as much as possible. Whenever you get an opportunity, you have to be ready. Karun used to face 600 balls a day on a consistent basis,” said Madyalkar.Nair’s knock drew appreciation from England batter Joe Root who patted him on the back following the Indian batter’s dismissal. Sai Sudharsan was the second highest run-scorer for the visitors in the first innings, accumulating 38 runs off 108 balls in a knock comprising six fours. Pacer Gus Atkinson was the top wicket-taker for the hosts, accounting for five dismissals. Josh Tongue was the second-highest wicket-taker, picking three wickets.India trail 1-2 in the ongoing five-match Test series against England. However, they are missing out on the services of pacer Jasprit Bumrah who has been released from the squad.
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