ENG vs IND: "Cricket gave him a second chance, but he couldn't capitalise"- Irfan Pathan gives 4/10 rating to Karun Nair for his failures in England

Irfan Pathan said that Karun Nair seemed unsettled and uncomfortable during ENG vs IND test series.

Former India all-round Irfan Pathan has slammed Karun Nair for his dismal batting show during the recent test series against England. Pathan feels that Nair got enough opportunities to showcase his might during the England tour, however, he failed to make a mark with the bat on his test comeback.

Notably, Nair returned to the test team after 2017 on the back of his brilliant performances in domestic cricket. The right-handed batsman was picked in four games out of five matches, missing only the fourth test at Old Trafford, Manchester.

At a poor average of 25.62, the right-handed batter hit 205 runs across eight innings. He scored only one half-century across his eight outings, which came in the fifth test at The Oval, London. Due to continuous flop shows in the England series, he also received a lot of criticism from fans on social media.

Irfan Pathan rates Karun Nair’s batting show 4/10

While speaking on his YouTube channel, cricketer-turned-commentator Pathan gave a poor rating of 4/10 to Nair for his batting show. The former left-arm pacer said that Nair could not capitalise on the plenty of opportunities he got in the series.

“He didn’t look particularly poor throughout the series. He kept getting starts consistently but managed only one half-century. He got plenty of opportunities. Cricket definitely gave him a second chance, but he couldn’t capitalise on it the way he should have,” he said.

“It often seemed like he was playing well, building up nicely, and then suddenly, he’d play a loose shot and get out. He looked a bit shaken and seemed more unsettled and uncomfortable. So, he gets four points,” he added.

Irfan Pathan gives 5/10 rating to Sai Sudharsan

Pathan heaped praise on Sai Sudharsan and noted that the left-handed batter did not get enough chances. Notably, Sudharsan made his test debut in the opening game at Headingley, Leeds. However, he was dropped after the first test and later played in the fourth and fifth tests.

“Sai Sudharsan is talented and he can score big if he works on a few aspects of his game. He wasn’t given enough chances. If he had played all the games, things might have been different,” he said.

“You played in one Test and then you get dropped. I feel that if he gets regular opportunities, he can achieve a lot. I am fond of left-handed batters at the top of the order. In the last match, he scored a fifty. I will give him five out of ten,” he added.

The left-handed batsman mustered 140 runs across six innings at an average of 23.33 with one fifty. Meanwhile, the ENG vs IND test series ended in a 2-2 draw.

While England won the first test and third test by five wickets and 22 runs respectively, India captured wins in the second test and fifth game by 336 runs and six runs respectively. The fourth test in Manchester ended in a draw.

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