Karun Nair should bat at number three against England in the second Test instead of Sai Sudharsan, according to former India keeper Deep Dasgupta. Dasgupta acknowledged that it would be difficult to drop Sai Sudharsan after just one game, but he believed that Nair batting at number three would provide the batting with more options.
India lost by five wickets to England in the first test at Headingley in Leeds. The hosts, who were faced with a demanding task of 371, managed to make the home in overs far behind the seven-hour pace and stonew stuck on 65 when he was bowled by Windies pacer Shannon Gabriel as Ben Duckett (149) Zak Crawley (65) and captain Joe Root (53) helped the hosts make the home. Jamie Smith (44) also contributed to that total with a useful effort.
Moving forward to the second Test that will be held at Edgbaston in Birmingham on July 2-July 6, Dasgupta predicted that We can do with Kuldeep Yadav making it into the playing eleven. He had remarked on a video posted on the ESPNcricinfo:
“Obviously, you don’t want to make too many changes after the first game. But, this is a very young side, so you’ve got to get the combination right. Birmingham is usually a batting-friendly venue. I would love to see Kuldeep there. The advantage of having a top five among runs is you’re not too worried about contributions from your No. 8 with the bat.”
England win the opening Test by 5 wickets in Headingley#TeamIndia will aim to bounce back in the 2nd Test
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/CuzAEnBkyu#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/9YcrXACbHn
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 24, 2025Additionally, the 48-year-old said that India would consider promoting Nair. Dasgupta clarified that the cricket player has a great deal of experience batting at the one-down position.
“Karun Nair has got most of his runs in first-class cricket and all at No. 3. Also, he batted for India A against Lions at No. 3. So you might want to look at Karun Nair at No. 3. That opens up a scape for someone like Nitish [Reddy] at No. 6 who, if required, can give you a few overs of seam-up.”
Dasgupta said that an open discussion can be held with the young player on the potential exclusion of Sai Sudharsan following his Test debut at Leeds.
According to the former India keeper:
“Sai, I will have chat with him and say, this is not a reflection of what happened in the first Test, but a combination thing. So, that conversation becomes very important – how you put it across.”
Karun Nair test Innings for India :
4, 303*, 13, 5, 23, 26, 0, 0, 20.
His domestic season was very good, that's why he returned to team India after 8 years. But his comeback match was not so good. He should be given 1, 2 more matches. pic.twitter.com/4aFHLscNOE
— VIKAS (@Vikas662005) June 24, 2025Sudharsan was out for 0 and 30 on his debut, while Nair scored 0 and 20 in his comeback Test in Leeds.
Shardul Thakur’s place under scanner ahead of 2nd ENG vs IND 2025 Test
All-rounder Shardul Thakur was selected by India as an additional fast bowling option for the first Test match against England in Leeds. But the 33-year-old didn’t have much of an effect. In the first innings, he bowled just six overs, went wicketless, and gave up 38 runs.
In the second innings, the right-arm pacer performed even better, dismissing Duckett and Harry Brook off consecutive deliveries. But Thakur struggled with the bat and was out for single figures in both innings. According to a number of experts, Thakur has to be replaced by Kuldeep for the second Test.
