Manchester Test: Karun Nair dropped, Anshul Kamboj handed maiden cap

Seems like the chances are all but over for Karun Nair moving ahead in the India vs England series. The Vidarbha batter made an earnest request from cricket to give him another chance back in 2022. However, as the chance finally arrived after an eight-year hiatus, the batter could not show up. After three matches into the series, the visitors have dropped Nair from their combination for the Manchester Test. Sai Sudharsan replaced Karun Nair in the India Playing XI for the fourth Test, while Shardul Thakur earns another opportunity in the ongoing series. Meanwhile, the young Anshul Kamboj, added as an injury cover in the squad ahead of the fourth Test, has claimed his maiden Test cap for the do-or-die match at Old Trafford.

Karun Nair exhausts his chances, Anshul Kamboj marks his Test debut in the Manchester Test

Going into the first Test without the senior pair of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the visitors made space for both Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair in the combination for the India vs England series opener. Nair batted at six, while Sudharsan came out at three to mark his Test debut. Both the batters, however, could not leave a mark in the fixture that India lost by 5 wickets. Nair marked his much-awaited Test return with a 4-ball duck. The next fixture, the Edgbaston Test, witnessed Sudharsan getting dropped and making space for Nair to bat at three.

However, Nair's returns with the bat remained subpar. His highest stand across the six innings in the India vs England series is noted to be 40. Despite clinching decent starts, Nair, who began his England tour with a double ton for India A, failed to convert them into big scores. Now, as the series stands at a crucial juncture, the visitors have dropped Nair. Sudharsan, left out of the combination following the Headingley Test, has been called up again in the Indian Playing XI for the Manchester Test. Nair, meanwhile, stands at a threatening spot, with his chances to gain yet another opportunity in the upcoming matches appearing next to none.

In the lead-up to the fourth Test at Old Trafford, the touring camp was jolted by multiple injury scares. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy sustained a knee injury, while Arshdeep Singh copped a blow to his bowling hand during a net session. The knee injury ruled out Nitish Kumar Reddy from the entire series. Meanwhile, Arshdeep, who was fairly in contention for his Test debut in Manchester, was ruled out of the squad for the fourth Test. Moreover, Akash Deep, one of the heroes of the Edgbaston Test, sustained a groin strain. While Akash Deep remained a part of the squad, he has been rested.

The multiple injury setbacks pushed India to make several changes in the combination for the Manchester Test. Shardul Thakur, who was dropped from the XI following the opening Test, has been recalled to fill the void created by Reddy's absence. Moreover, Anshul Kamboj has earned his maiden Test cap for the fourth Test. Kamboj toured England with the India A team earlier, where he impressed both with the bat and the ball across two unofficial Tests. While the main squad initially asked Harshit Rana to stay back as a potential injury cover for the Headingley Test, Kamboj earned the opportunity for the Manchester Test.

The Haryana pacer was added to the India squad for the fourth Test. With Akash Deep's strain and Arshdeep's injury, Kamboj didn’t need to wait long for his debut. Now, India’s pace attack will have Kamboj assisting Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. Meanwhile, the lineup will have additional depth with Shardul Thakur coming in as the pace all-rounder. Overall, the visitors introduced three changes for the fourth India vs England Test, with Sudharsan, Shardul, and Kamboj coming in for Nair, Reddy, and Akash Deep respectively.

India Playing XI for the Manchester Test

Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj