Will Karun Nair be picked for West Indies Test series?
What's the story
As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) gears up to announce the squad for two home Tests against West Indies, Karun Nair's future hangs in the balance, as per Cricbuzz. The selection meeting is scheduled for Wednesday. Nair had previously expressed his desire for a second chance at international cricket, which he got during the recent Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England. However, his performance since then has come under scrutiny.
Performance review
Nair's Test numbers in England were far from impressive
Nair played four Tests in England, scoring just 205 runs at an average of over 25. He managed to hit just one half-century in eight innings, with his highest score being 57 in the first innings of the Oval Test. These numbers are unimpressive considering it was a series where batters thrived and more than 7,000 runs were scored.
Selection dilemma
Padikkal is a strong contender for Nair's spot
Devdutt Padikkal is emerging as a strong contender for Nair's spot in the squad. He recently scored an impressive 150 against Australia A in Lucknow. Since returning from England in early August, Nair has not played any competitive cricket, which further complicates his case with selectors. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant continues to recover from a toe injury sustained during the Old Trafford Test and will miss out on this series too.
Squad prediction
A look at the probable squad for West Indies Tests
The likely squad for the West Indies Test series includes Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav. The pace attack is expected to be led by Jasprit Bumrah with Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. Akash Deep who was in England has not fully recovered and may not be considered for this spin-friendly series.