Mumbai: Speaking on ‘Match Centre Live’ after the conclusion of Day 1 of the fifth Test, JioHotstar expert Varun Aaron applauded Karun Nair’s application under pressure:
“Karun Nair played a brilliant knock today. He knew how crucial this match was for him — potentially his last chance with the Indian Test team. But he capitalised, scoring a composed 51 on a track that offered plenty. Yes, the bowling wasn’t always tight — Josh Tongue sprayed it around a bit — but Karun stood tall alongside Mr. Reliable, Washington Sundar. What really stood out to me was how purposefully Karun used soft hands to anything outside off-stump. Except for one over against Tongue, where he flashed at a few, he returned to his disciplined approach quickly. It was a very Karun Nair-type innings — the kind we see in domestic cricket. He makes bowlers come to him, and once they bowl under his eyeline, it’s meat and drink. He’s so balanced at the crease — rarely gets trapped LBW, and he timed his drives perfectly without trying to overhit.”
On Washington Sundar and Karun’s partnership:
“Washington might have felt a little short-changed in the last game where others scored hundreds and he batted at No. 8. But today, he showed how positive he is — not with flashy shots, but with intent. He kept stepping forward, stayed on the front foot, and looked in control. This partnership with Karun has been very promising, and with the sun expected to be out tomorrow, if they survive that first half-hour, they could take India to a strong position.”
On India’s fall of wickets:
“These were very different conditions — overcast and challenging. Yashasvi Jaiswal missed the line completely. KL Rahul will be disappointed — the ball came back a bit, caught the inside edge. Shubman Gill looked solid, but that run-out just wasn’t needed. Sai Sudharsan and Ravindra Jadeja both got unplayable deliveries. Dhruv Jurel tried to push the scoring but was a bit late on the cut shot. Except for a couple of dismissals, India could’ve avoided most of those wickets.”
On the pitch and projected score:
“Firstly, if the scoreboard reads 204, it’s actually worth around 240 — simply because the outfield at The Oval was extremely slow today. Typically, The Oval has a quick outfield, but due to the rain, it’s been unusually sluggish. Karun Nair, Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, and even Washington Sundar played some beautiful shots off the middle of the bat, but they just weren’t getting full value — boundaries were hard to come by, and they had to run a lot more than usual. If the outfield remains the same and there’s more rain over the next couple of days, it will continue to be challenging for the batters to score freely. That said, India haven’t done too badly in these conditions. But on Day 2, the first half an hour will be absolutely crucial. If they can survive that phase, especially with the way Karun Nair is looking — busy at the crease — it’s a good sign. A busy Karun Nair at the crease is a confident Karun Nair.”
