Nair set for chop despite triple-century heroics
If Karun Nair thought his 303 not out against England was enough to secure his spot in India's Test team, he may well be disappointed.
Karun Nair looks set to lose his place in India's team for the one-off Test with Bangladesh, despite having hit a triple century in his last match.
Nair stood in for the injured Ajinkya Rahane and smashed 303 not out to help his side complete a 4-0 series win over England in Chennai.
However, captain Virat Kohli stated Rahane – now recovered from a finger problem – deserves to "walk back into the team" based on his contribution over the last couple of years.
"I feel one game doesn't overshadow two years of hard work from another player," he said ahead of the match with Bangladesh at Hyderabad, which begins on Thursday.
"You need to understand what Jinks [Rahane] has done for the team over the past two years. He averages almost 50 in this format and he's probably the most solid batsman in our team in this format.
"We'll look at him from that point of view, certainly. Karun was stepping into his shoes and what he did was remarkable, sealing his spot, as far as the squad is concerned, was something that Karun did, but as I said you can't overlook two years of hard work from Ajinkya.
"He deserves to walk back into the team whenever he got fit – that's my take on it."
His sentiments echo those of India coach Anil Kumble, who nonetheless lauded the impact of Nair on what was only his third Test appearance.
"We still haven't thought about the combination, but it is nice that Karun took his opportunity and did what he did in Chennai," said Kumble.
"It is fantastic for a young cricketer to come in and score a triple-hundred. But we know what Ajinkya has done for this team. Ajinkya's performances have been phenomenal across conditions."