ENG vs IND: Karun Nair retains his place as Anil Kumble shares his take on the Indian XI for the Manchester test

Karun Nair is yet to score a half-century in the series so far.

Former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble has backed Karun Nair to play the next test of the series. The England Cricket Team and the Indian Cricket Team will clash in the fourth test of the five-match series at Old Trafford, Manchester, from July 23 onwards.

Karun Nair has been part of all three games in the ongoing test series. However, he has not been able to make a mark and is yet to score a half-century in the series so far. The right-hander has scored 131 runs across six innings with a top knock of 40 runs.

In the previous Lord’s test, Karun Nair scored 40 runs in the first innings. However, he lost his wicket for 14 runs in the second innings. After his dismissal, many fans criticised him on social media for his back-to-back failures. Notably, he made a return to test team after eight years.

Anil Kumble backs Karun Nair as he wants India to go with the same team in the Manchester test

While speaking on the Star Sports show Follow the Blues, cricketer-turned commentator Kumble said that Karun Nair should be part of India’s playing XI in the fourth test. He noted that Nair etched a crucial partnership with KL Rahul in the first innings of the Lord’s test.

“He (Nair) certainly keeps his place. He did enough in the first innings. In the second innings, it was probably a brain fade, but he was batting well. That partnership was crucial,” he said.

“If he had gotten out early, then maybe Shubman Gill exposed slightly earlier with the new ball. We know that the first 20 or 25 overs were crucial. I think he will still keep his place. He was unfortunate that he got out. It was a brilliant catch by Joe Root. Probably give him one more opportunity,” he added.

Kumble also feels that India should not make many changes to their playing XI for the next game.

“I don’t want to make too many changes because I think India have played a fantastic game. Yes, they lost by 22 runs. Unless injuries, we don’t know about Rishabh Pant,” he said.

Meanwhile, England lead the five-match series 2-1. They have inducted Liam Dawson into their squad for the fourth test. This comes after Shoaib Bashir was ruled out of the series due to a finger injury. Notably, India have never defeated England in a test match at Old Trafford, Manchester.

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