indian cricket team

Will Karun Nair Be Included In India Playing XI For ENG vs IND 3rd Test At Lord’s?

Ashish Satyam

Last updated: July 10, 2025

3 min read

The Indian team was able to make a huge turnaround after losing the first Test match against England in Leeds, as under the leadership of Shubman Gill, they defeated England by 336 runs in the Edgbaston Test. However, there have been a lot of talks going around about Karun Nair and his place in India’s playing XI.

The right-hand batter made a comeback to the Indian team after eight long years. But he has not been able to make an impact with the bat so far in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. His inclusion in the playing XI for the Lord’s Test is still under the scanner.

Sanjay Manjrekar Backs Sai Sudharsan Ahead Of Karun Nair

Speaking about the same, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar reckoned that Sai Sudharsan should be given a preference ahead of Karun Nair at the No.3 position. Sudharsan played in the first Test, where he scored 0 and 30, and as a result, he warmed the bench for the next game at Edgbaston. Nair replaced Sudharsan at the No.3 position in the second Test and again failed to make an impact with his willow.

“I thought Sai Sudharsan, after just one match, to be left out considering he is a young player that we are looking at the future. He played pretty okay in the second innings. I’d like to stick with him, but this team management is not afraid to chop and change depending on the vibe”, Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo.

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Why Sai Sudharsan Should Play the Lord’s Test?

As of now, the Karnataka-born batter has collected the scores of 0, 20, 31, and 26 across four innings in the ongoing five-Test match series. Manjrekar opined that the Indian management should not have chopped Sudharsan after just one game.

The former India cricketer also said that when it comes to bat at No.3, Sudharsan is better suited than Nair. He also added that the Indian team cannot think of complacency, as Shubman Gill has scored truckloads of runs.

“But I would like to see Sai Sudharsan at No.3. Karun Nair is not a No.3 player in my book. It is unfair to drop him after one Test if everyone is getting big hundreds. I think Sai deserves that opportunity as well,” said Manjrekar.

Gill amassed 147 in the first innings of the series opener. He then followed it up with 269 and 161 at Edgbaston. The Indian team is gearing up for the third Test against England, starting from July 10 at the iconic Lord’s.

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