3 Players Who Can Replace Karun Nair If India Drop Him For 3rd Test Against England

Karun Nair against England (Source: AP Photos)

India are up against England in the five-match Test series currently, and one of the highlights before the start of the tour was Karun Nair's comeback in the side. The 33-year-old made his comeback on the back of a stellar domestic season and was expected to deliver in India colours as well.

However, he has not been able to make significant contributions in the four innings he has played so far, and suddenly, there are calls for his omission in the next Test. 

In the first game, he batted at number six, while at Edgbaston, he took the important number 3 position. The batter did get starts in almost all of his innings, but with intense competition for the spots, failures to convert those starts could haunt him.

Thus, if the management decides to drop him, who will replace him? Let's try to analyse it.

1. Sai Sudharsan

Sai Sudharsan batted at number 3 in the first game and after a duck in the first innings, he scored 30 in the second outing. He is being considered as a long-term option for number 3, and so the management might go back to him for the third Test.

Sai Sudharsan In First-Class Cricket

Sudharsan is also a natural top-order batter, and his technique is considered apt for the number 3 position. He has been in great form in recent times, and as he was trusted to bat at 3 in the first Test, he looks like a front-runner to take that position again.

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2. Abhimanyu Easwaran

The Bengal opener has been part of numerous Test tours now, but has not got his maiden international cap so far. He has scored tons of runs in domestic cricket for a long time, and also scored 80 off just 92 balls for India A against England Lions at number 3 recently.

Abhimanyu Easwaran In First-Class Cricket

So, if the management opts to replace an experienced domestic player like Karun Nair with another one, Abhimanyu Easwaran could get a go. Also, India have already tried Sai Sudharsan in the first game, and this time around they might finally give a much-deserved chance to Abhimanyu Easwaran.

3. Dhruv Jurel

The wicketkeeper batter, Dhruv Jurel, is another quality option to replace Karun Nair. He has scored runs in most of the games he has played for India and has shown good technique against a moving ball.

Dhruv Jurel In First-Class Cricket

However, the problem with Dhruv Jurel is that he has batted in the lower middle order in Test cricket so far. Thus, to accommodate him, India might have to shuffle their batting order, which could disrupt settled positions of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant. So, if Dhruv Jurel is included, there could be some changes in the overall playing XI combination as well.

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