Karun Nair has made a remarkable return to India’s playing XI in the first Test against England at Headingley, Leeds, after missing 77 consecutive Test matches. This marks the fourth-longest gap between two Test appearances for India.
The middle-order batter, who last featured in a Test match in 2017, joins the Indian side in a transitional phase, with several new faces and a new captain, Shubman Gill, taking charge post Virat Kohli’s retirement. Visuals from before the toss showed Nair participating in slip catching practice alongside Gill, hinting at his inclusion. That has now been confirmed.
With 77 Tests missed in between, Nair ranks just below Jaidev Unadkat (118), Dinesh Karthik (87), and Parthiv Patel (83) in the list of longest gaps between appearances for India in Test cricket. His return adds experience to a batting lineup that now includes debutant Sai Sudharsan, who starts at No.3.
The match at Headingley also saw England win the toss and opt to field first under overcast conditions, hoping to exploit early seam movement.
