Middle-order batsman Karun Nair hasn’t had “any conversations” with the India selectors and team management about why he didn’t play in any of the five Tests in England. Nair was part of India’s original 18-man squad for the Tests in England, but watched Hanuma Vihari, who was called up as a replacement during the series, leapfrog him and make a debut in the fifth Test at The Oval.
On Saturday, Nair was left out of India’s Test squad for the home series against West Indies in October. Before that squad was named, Nair, in an interview with Cricbuzz, said of the situation in England: “We [Nair, the selectors and the team management] haven’t had any conversations. Nothing at all. It is difficult, but I haven’t gone forth and asked anything, but yeah, we haven’t had any conversation.”
Nair largely spent his time in England working with the team’s fitness trainer, who, according to Nair, commended him for his fitness levels. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with [Shanker] Basu sir, our trainer, and Sanjay Bangar sir as well, our batting coach,” he said. “Obviously a lot of throwdowns and a lot of net sessions. But mainly I have been spending time with Basu sir. According to him, I am the fittest person in the team right now. I am very proud of that and I just want to keep improving on that.”
Nair, who has played six Tests, became India’s second triple-centurion – after Virender Sehwag – when he scored an unbeaten 303 against England in Chennai in December 2016. Since then, he has played only three more Tests and none since March 2017. Those three Tests were in the home series against Australia, and Nair had a high score of 26 in four innings.
Before the series against Australia, he did not make the playing XI in the one-off home Test against Bangladesh, and after Australia he was dropped for the home and away series against Sri Lanka, and the Tests in South Africa. He returned to the squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan, but not the XI. In July, he travelled with India A to England, where he made two fifties in six first-class innings against England Lions and West Indies A, with a top score of 93. That was followed by the England Tests, where Vihari played ahead of him.
“It is difficult, naturally for a human being, it’s difficult to handle that situation, or to take that as a human being,” Nair said. “But the team management and everyone else involved make a decision, and me as a player has to accept it. There’s nothing else I can do. Whenever I get an opportunity, I will let the bat do the talking. I can’t be saying anything else on that.”
Nair is currently captaining the Indian Board President’s XI against the touring West Indians in Vadodara. In the first innings of that two-day game, Nair was out to Shannon Gabriel for 29.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo