Karun Nair Faces Harsh Criticism After Ill-Timed Dismissal at Lord’s

London, July 14:India's middle-order batter Karun Nair came under sharp scrutiny after his untimely dismissal during the second innings of the Lord’s Test against England, with former cricketers Dinesh Karthik, Anil Kumble, and Michael Atherton openly questioning his shot selection and judgment.

Nair, 33, who had returned to the Test side on the back of consistent domestic performances, was promoted to No. 3 after Sai Sudharsan was dropped following the Headingley Test. However, his latest outing raised eyebrows as he misjudged a delivery from England pacer Brydon Carse and was trapped leg-before while attempting an unnecessary leave.

The dismissal occurred on the third ball of the 13th over — a straight delivery from Carse that struck Nair flush on the pads as he opted to shoulder arms.

“Karun Nair’s going to limp off, what a breakthrough for England. Completely out of the blue, he was looking solid as always. The ball didn’t do much, just came in straight. I don’t know what he was thinking," remarked Dinesh Karthik on commentary.

Karthik further criticized the lapse in judgment, adding:
“Karun Nair expected the ball to swing away probably, but it didn’t, just held its line, kept coming straight. Pretty ordinary leave. Brydon Carse loving it — it’s an important wicket."

Former England captain Michael Atherton also weighed in, expressing disbelief at the misjudgment given the bowler's angle and the slope at Lord’s.

“It’s a very strange leave from Karun Nair. Particularly at the end he’s batting — the pavilion end — you know naturally the ball is going to run back in at you, down the slope,” Atherton observed.

“To make matters worse, he’ll have a big bruise there in the morning because it hit him on the inside of the pad, so he had to hobble off,” he added.

Nair’s exit further compounded India’s troubles in what had been a promising position earlier in the day.

Kumble Calls it a "Brain Fade"

Speaking to the official broadcasters after the close of play on Day 4, former India captain and coach Anil Kumble did not hold back in his assessment.

“India had a great chance; they did well to restrict England to 192. Yashasvi Jaiswal played a poor shot. Once Karun Nair got out, and then Shubman Gill, it was a slight advantage to England,” Kumble said on JioStar.

Reflecting on Nair’s decision-making, he remarked:
“It was a great opportunity for Karun; he did all the hard work. He did look good, I don’t know, probably it was a brain fade."

India in a Tense Chase

Despite a stellar performance from Washington Sundar, who claimed four wickets to restrict England to a modest total, India’s top order faltered under pressure on a wearing Lord’s pitch. Chasing a target of 193, the visitors stumbled to 58/4 at stumps on Day 4.

With the match delicately poised, India will look to recover early on Day 5 and avoid what could be a disappointing collapse in a winnable Test.