Karun Nair shone with the bat for India on Day 1 of the fifth Test against England at The Oval on Thursday, July 31. The right-hander hit seven boundaries in his undefeated 52 off 98 balls.
As India continued to lose wickets at regular intervals on a green field with brief rainstorms and gloomy skies, the fighting knock came. When the visitors were struggling at 83/3, the 33-year-old came on and stayed until the score hit 204/6.
During the England trip, Nair, who took Shardul Thakur’s place in the playing XI, hit his first half-century. His previous best score was 40, and he scored 131 runs in six innings.
Fans of X praised Karun Nair for his fifty-plus fights. A user wrote:
“A Valuable One in the context of the game.”
Another user commented:
“A Terrific 50 in tough batting conditions when everyone failing bro stood like a rock.”
A third user added:
“Karun Nair ends the wait with a gritty half-century!”
Here are a few more reactions:
India after Karun Nair 50 pic.twitter.com/EcMOfJRCVx
— Mayank (@mayankcdp) July 31, 2025Karun Nair got his 50!🥹🥳
We all know what happened the last time he scored a test 50.😋🔥
Make it Bigger, Man🤍#KarunNair #ENGvIND #AndersonTendulkarTrophy
— Sukumaran BP (@BpSukumaran) July 31, 2025Karun Nair to ICT fans.#INDvsENGTest pic.twitter.com/eNvhp2gNCe
— Aarya 🕊️ (@Vitamin_Vk18) July 31, 2025Karun Nair, what a performance! Pure class and grit,moments like this remind everyone why cricket is a game of unforgettable heroes.
— Ankur Pandey (@ankurpandeyIND) July 31, 2025Well batted Karun Nair. Remember, the job is only half done. You need to double it up at least. #INDvsEND #ENGvsIND #CricketTwitter
— SKM | Delightful Odisha (@skmishra86) July 31, 2025India Gain Momentum on Day 1 as Karun Nair Stands Tall Against England
India ended Day 1 of the fifth Test against England on a high note thanks to a half-century from Karun Nair.
On Day 1, the tourists were 204/6 at stumps, with Washington Sundar (19) and Nair (52) at the crease. The two are eager to score a lot on Day 2 after sharing a fifty collaboration. In the meantime, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson returned with two wickets each, making them the hosts’ best bowlers.
In addition to Nair, Dhruv Jurel, captain Shubman Gill, and Sai Sudharsan contributed 38 (108), 21 (35), and 19 (40) runs, respectively. Yashasvi Jaiswal (2) and KL Rahul (14) both lost cheaply as openers.
World No. 1 Test bowler Jasprit Bumrah (resting) and wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant (foot injury) were two of the visitors’ four major absences from the playing XI earlier in the day.
Ollie Pope, on the contrary, is captaining the hosts as regular skipper Ben Stokes is out following a shoulder injury. The man in place who was the captain won the toss and chose to bowl.
England is currently ahead with 2-1 in the five match series. Therefore, the Indians need to win to rule out chances of a hat-trick of series defeats in Tests after Australia (away) and New Zealand (home) defeats 1-3 and 0-3 respectively.
