"He could have done more" - Sanjay Bangar on Karun Nair's performance in ENG vs IND 2025 series

Former India player Sanjay Bangar has opined that Karun Nair didn't live up to expectations in the recently concluded Test series against England. While acknowledging that Nair fared decently in difficult conditions in the first innings of the final Test, he noted that the right-handed batter should have done better in the first three Tests in more batting-friendly conditions.

The five-match series between India and England ended in a 2-2 draw after the visitors won the final game at the Oval on Monday (August 4) by six runs. Nair aggregated 205 runs at an average of 25.63 in eight innings in the four Tests he played.

During a discussion on the Star Sports show 'Follow the Blues,' Bangar was asked about his thoughts on Nair's performance in the series, with experts rating him five on a scale of 10.

"He could have done more because much was expected of him. That average could have been higher because the Test matches he got were in the initial part of the series as well. Yes, the conditions at The Oval were very, very conducive to the bowlers, but the way he played in that first innings would mean that the bulk of the points which came his way was for that particular effort," he responded.

The former India all-rounder reckoned Nair could have sealed his place in the team had he played a match-defining knock in the third Test at Lord's.

"However, once you are on a comeback trail, I think what the team management is looking for is impactful performances. I think he could have really sealed his place for maybe a season or two had he probably won the match at Lord's, or made a telling contribution," Bangar observed.

Karun Nair scored 14 runs off 33 deliveries and was dismissed lbw while shouldering arms to a Brydon Carse delivery in India's second innings of the Lord's Test. Shubman Gill and company lost the match by 22 runs while chasing a 193-run target.

---

"You cannot say that with surety now" - Parthiv Patel on Karun Nair's Test future after ENG vs IND 2025 series

Karun Nair scored 57 runs in India's first innings of the final Test at The Oval. [P/C: Getty]

On a separate 'Follow the Blues' show, former India wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel was asked about Karun Nair's place in the Test side for the upcoming home season.

"Unfortunately, you cannot say that with surety now, considering the way his series went, although he scored a half-century in difficult conditions. He had asked for one chance. Luckily, he got two," he replied.

While acknowledging that the 33-year-old performed better in the final Test than in the first three, the cricketer-turned-commentator opined that he hadn't grasped his chance with both hands.

"In the first chance he got, he couldn't convert his starts. So he was dropped. Then he got an opportunity again in the fifth Test match. He scored a good half-century there for sure, but you cannot say that he has made the most of the opportunity he got," Patel observed.

Karun Nair made a comeback to India's Test side after eight years on the back of excellent performances in domestic cricket. However, he couldn't replicate those performances at the Test level, and it remains to be seen whether he is persisted with for the home series against the West Indies.