"Got a triple hundred but enjoyed no backing" - Karun Nair's former coach makes big remark on his gritty 57 in ENG vs IND 2025 5th Test

Karun Nair's former coach, Sanath Kumar, has said that the Indian batter didn't get the backing he deserved after his unbeaten 303 against England in Chennai in 2016. The former Karnataka coach also said that he advised the right-hander to focus on one ball at a time during the ongoing series against England.

He added that Nair channelled the frustration as a fuel to score a gritty half-century in the first innings at The Oval in the ongoing Test match. The right-hander was India's top scorer with 57, helping them reach the total of 224 runs. Kumar told Timesofindia.com,

"There are so many players who have not done anything but still they got a lot of chances. Karun got a triple hundred but enjoyed no backing at all. That was ridiculous in my opinion. I just asked Karun to enjoy the process and take it one ball at a time during the ongoing series. Thinking about aspects which are out of your control doesn't serve any purpose."

"Karun used all the pain and frustration of being sidelined as fuel to score those valuable runs in very challenging conditions. There was a lot of stoppage in play and the situation was quite intense as well. It is very unfortunate that he was sidelined for such a long period of time after scoring a triple century."

Karun Nair played his first Test match in eight years in the series opener in the first Test of the ongoing series at Leeds. However, he could not make a positive impression on his return, making 0 and 20 in the first and second innings, respectively. He got off to a start in both innings in the second Test at Birmingham but fell for 31 and 26, respectively.

Karun Nair was given a third chance in the Test match at Lord's, but once again could not make the most of his opportunity, falling for 40 and 14, respectively. After being omitted from the playing XI for the fourth Test at Old Trafford, he made a half-century in the first innings of the fifth Test at The Oval.

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Karun Nair's current coach says the batter faced 600 balls consistently while being in the wilderness

Karun Nair's current coach, Vijayakumar Madyalkar, said that there was no discussion between them about making a comeback into the Indian team. Madyalkar said that they only worked on improving Nair's game, and he faced 600 balls on a consistent basis.

"We never spoke about when he will get a chance. The sole focus was on working hard and refining his batting skills as much as possible. Whenever you get an opportunity, you have to be ready. Karun used to face 600 balls a day on a consistent basis," he told TimesofIndia.com.

Karun Nair made a comeback into the Indian setup after a prolific season for Vidarbha. He made 863 runs in 16 innings with four centuries, playing a pivotal role in his side winning the Ranji Trophy title by beating Kerala in the final.