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Karun Nair lets go of roller coaster England series, makes honest reflection: ‘The nerves were there, but…’
Karun Nair acknowledged feeling the nerves while batting on the challenging Oval surface where he scored a fifty in the first innings.
Karun Nair has reflected on his performance in his comeback Test series against England. The right-handed batter, who was making his comeback in the Test side after eight years, failed to live up to the expectations on the big tour. With the full support of head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill, Nair featured in four Tests but came away with just a single half-century in the series. The expectations were high from Karun after he made a comeback, proving himself in domestic cricket by piling up a plethora of runs. However, he failed to replicate the same at the international stage.
The 33-year-old scored 205 runs in four Tests at an underwhelming average of 25.62. He did get off to solid starts in a couple of innings, but failed to hold his nerves and wasn't able to convert them into big scores.
Nair acknowledged feeling the nerves while batting on the challenging Oval surface. In the first innings, he managed a half-century. However, he expressed disappointment at not being able to turn that start into a substantial score.
"I was disappointed at not being able to convert the start at The Oval into a century," he says. "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," Nair told ESPNCricinfo.
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The right-arm batter, who shifted his base from Karnataka to Vidharbha, piled up 863 runs in the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy at an average of 53.93, registering four centuries and two half-centuries, including a decisive knock in the final. His performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy was even more remarkable, scoring 779 runs in just eight innings at a staggering average of 389.50 and a strike rate of 124.04, with five centuries to his name.
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Karun Nair reflects on his performance
He admitted that the series didn’t unfold as he had hoped, with its share of highs and lows, but stressed that what matters most now is moving on from it.
"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," he added.
