Former Indian all-rounder Sanjay Bangar believes comeback man Karun Nair failed to live up to the lofty expectations in the five-match Test series against England. Nair could not grab his opportunity in the first three Test matches, aggregating 131 runs at an average of 21.83.
Nair was dropped from the playing XI in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester; however, he made a comeback in the fifth Test at the Oval. The right-hander returned with scores of 57 and 17 in the series decider.
Overall, Nair scored 205 runs in four Test matches at an average of 25.62 against England.
“He could have done more because much was expected of him. That average could have been higher because the Test matches he got were in the initial part of the series as well. Yes, the conditions at The Oval were very, very conducive to the bowlers, but the way he played in that first innings would mean that the bulk of the points which came his way was for that particular effort,” Sanjay Bangar said on Star Sports show Follow the Blues.
Bangar said Nair had a golden opportunity to seal his place but he could not grab his opportunity with both hands.
“However, once you are on a comeback trail, I think what the team management is looking for is impactful performances. I think he could have really sealed his place for maybe a season or two had he probably won the match at Lord’s, or made a telling contribution,” Bangar observed.
On the other hand, former Indian wicket keeper bat Parthiv Patel reckons there will be clouds hanging on Karun Nair’s Test future as he could not deliver consistently in England.
“Unfortunately, you cannot say that with surety now, considering the way his series went, although he scored a half-century in difficult conditions. He had asked for one chance. Luckily, he got two,” he replied.
The former Gujarat captain said Nair failed to convert his starts in the first three Test matches against the hosts.
“In the first chance he got, he couldn’t convert his starts. So he was dropped. Then he got an opportunity again in the fifth Test match. He scored a good half-century there for sure, but you cannot say that he has made the most of the opportunity he got,” Patel observed.
Nair had a dream run in the domestic circuit but he would be a tad disappointed with his performances in England.
