As India prepare for the opening Test of the five-match Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy series against England, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has thrown his support behind Karun Nair, who is set to return to the Test arena after an eight-year hiatus.Kaif, speaking on his YouTube channel, praised Nair’s red-ball temperament and domestic consistency, likening him to legendary Indian batters Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Cheteshwar Pujara for his ability to play long innings.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“Karun Nair can do the same work. He has a complete game. He plays big innings in Ranji and is coming on the back of consistent runs. He can play for an entire day,” said Kaif.
Poll
Do you think Karun Nair can successfully return to Test cricket after an eight-year hiatus?
“The batter who has the ability to score runs by playing grounded shots is one who plays full day. You must also have the ability to leave balls.”
Nair, who scored a historic triple-century against England in 2016, has battled through years of being overlooked despite a strong domestic record. His comeback is being seen as a key part of India’s transitional phase post the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from Test cricket.Kaif also identified Sai Sudharsan as another batter in the Dravid-Pujara mould, applauding his risk-free approach and all-round technique.“Sai Sudharsan, I have seen him, he looks like a complete batter. He takes less risk, has solid defense, plays spin and fast bowling very well. He is a complete package,” Kaif said.“In a format like IPL, he has scored by playing ground strokes in all matches. I think he can be a future Pujara or Rahul Dravid.”
Kaif further offered his pick for India’s fourth fast-bowling option in the first Test, backing Nitish Reddy over the experienced Shardul Thakur, citing Reddy’s batting ability and recent red-ball exploits.“I think Nitish Reddy will be the fourth fast bowler because he will also bat at No. 8. He can come after Jadeja. He scored a century in Australia and he can come and pick up one or two wickets,” Kaif added.
