England won the toss and elected to bowl in the first Test against England at Headingley on Friday. The Shubman Gill-led side has named a youthful playing XI, with Karun Nair making a return to the Indian Test team after more than seven years. His last appearance came in March 2017. India’s playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj. Nair’s inclusion marks the completion of a long, quiet comeback. He was part of the 2018 England tour but did not get a game. Nearly eight years later, he finally walks out to play a Test in English conditions. In a video shared by BCCI before the match, Nair spoke about what kept him going all these years.
“My first thought every day was, I want to play Test cricket for India again. That belief kept me going. It was the driving force to go to training, to practice every day.” He said the moment he entered the dressing room again made it feel real. “When I saw everyone for the first time, that’s when it hit me — I’m back.”Quiz: Who’s that IPL player? Reflecting on his mental growth, Nair said, “I’ve become more patient and forgiving of myself. I’ve learned to enjoy the small things and not try to be someone I’m not.” There’s also a sense of comfort in the dressing room this time. “Playing alongside KL and Prasidh, people I’ve grown up with, makes this return feel more special.” India are starting a new cycle of the World Test Championship without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R Ashwin. The team is younger, the leadership is new, and the stage is set for players like Nair to grab their second chance. “Hi, this is Karun Nair, and I’m ready to go,” he signed off in the video. After 2,763 days, his moment has finally arrived.
