Manchester Test: Shubman Gill comes under scrutiny over Karun Nair snub
India's move to drop Karun Nair from the combination for the fourth Test has not gone down well with former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif. The former batter took aim at Shubman Gill directly after the action kicked off in the Manchester Test, a do-or-die fixture for the visitors. India made three changes to their lineup for the must-win match, including Sai Sudharsan replacing Nair. The other two changes saw debutant Anshul Kamboj and all-rounder Shardul Thakur step in for the injured Akash Deep and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
The return of Karun Nair to the Indian side after an eight-year hiatus was widely viewed as his shot at redemption. However, his performances failed to make a mark, with the seasoned batter managing just 131 runs across six innings at an average of 21.83. The highest that Nair could reach across the six innings in the India vs England series was 40. Nair kicked off the England Tour with a double ton for India A. However, the Vidarbha batter could not emulate the same performance in the main series.
India’s defeat in the Lord’s Test had already raised the stakes heading into the Manchester Test. Going to the venue where the visitors have never registered a win in red-ball cricket, India will aim to level the series 2-2. With the series finely poised, the team management opted to bring Sai Sudharsan back into the fold. The left-hander had featured only in the opening Test at Leeds, where he scored 0 and 30.
Reacting on social media, Mohammed Kaif expressed disappointment in the decision. The former Indian cricketer suggested that the Indian skipper missed the chance to make a bold call. According to Kaif, Gill had a chance to gain respect by backing Nair for one last opportunity, a chance Kaif believed the senior batter had earned. In light of Nair being overlooked, Kaif admitted that his respect for Gill had taken a hit.
“Today was Shubman Gill's chance to back karun who was down but deserved one more chance. He should have picked Karun Nair. Chance missed to earn the respect when it comes to making tough decisions as a leader,” Kaif wrote.
Going into the Manchester Test, Shubman Gill lost his fourth straight toss as India's captain. Ben Stokes elected to bowl first under overcast conditions at Old Trafford. Along with Sudharsan, Anshul Kamboj and Shardul Thakur were included in the Indian XI for the match. Kamboj received his maiden Test cap, coming in to replace the injured Akash Deep. Shardul Thakur, meanwhile, earned another opportunity in the India vs England series, stepping in for Nitish Kumar Reddy, who has been ruled out of the entire series due to a knee injury.
