Karun Nair, who returned to the Indian side after eight years, played in the recent five-match Test series in England. He expressed disappointment with his performance at The Oval, where he scored a half-century in the first innings but failed to convert it into a century.
“I was disappointed at not being able to convert the start at The Oval into a century,” he said in a chat with ESPNcricinfo. “But looking back, it was quite important to grind my way on that first day with the team in a tricky position. I’d done well there previously; I’d gotten a 150 for Northants against Surrey. The nerves were there, but I was feeling good. I was hoping to convert, which I couldn’t.”
Throughout the series, Karun got several starts but couldn’t turn them into big scores. His first chance came at Leeds, where he was dismissed for a duck in the first innings and made 20 in the second.
In the second Test at Birmingham, he was promoted to No. 3 and scored 31 and 26. India kept faith in him at Lord’s, where he made 40 and 14. He was then dropped for the fourth Test in Manchester before being recalled for the series decider at The Oval.
At The Oval, he played a crucial innings in the first innings. He scored 57 when no other Indian batter crossed 40, but fell short of pushing the team to a bigger total. In the second innings, he managed only 17.
Reflecting on his series, Karun said: “It was an up-and-down series in that sense, and I did reflect a lot. But it’s also important to let go of what has happened and look forward to what I need to do in the next few months. It’s about keeping my focus levels up and making sure I go on and make big scores, irrespective of the level I’m playing at.”
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