- July 20, 2025
India’s No. 3 spot has unexpectedly turned into the center of attention — but not exactly for positive reasons. Following Karun Nair’s failure to kick-start his international career once again (this time in England), fans and critics are divided on whether India should stick with the experienced player or the young and seemingly talented Sai Sudharsan. As the fourth Test at Old Trafford draws near, the selection puzzle becomes even more pressing. Let’s take a look at what the experts are saying — and believe me, they are not mincing their words.
The “Pretty but Problematic 30s”: Farokh Engineer Calls for Bigger Scores
Farokh Engineer, the former India stumper, was refreshingly blunt with his take. In his estimation, Nair can’t just make stylish 20s and 30s. He has played some lovely shots, beautiful cover drives, lovely flicks, but Test cricket is rigorous and has no room for the flimsy. A No. 3 has to show guts and play tough hundreds, and not just stylish little cameos.
Engineer is clear: ignore reputations, select players who can perform, “If Sai Sudharsan is good enough, play him!” he declared. His advice is hard-nosed: select players for form and not for familiarity. When the series is at stake, the last thing you’d want is to babysit underperformers, no matter how well they look making their 30 runs.
The Continuity Conundrum: Kartik, Kaif & the Management’s Dilemma
Ex-spinner Murali Kartik said, “Nair has already done enough and made his case through dominating domestic performance, but is it enough for him to warrant inclusion at the moment? Personally, it is likely the selectors will stick with the current group, but I think they also acknowledge the pressure is mounting on the management to reassess.”
Kaif cautioned against the usual panic button. India is almost too happy to change its XI following a loss and likewise switch it back to its original on a win. Stability is so important for Kaif – he said he would like to see Nair get one more opportunity to play as he is getting starts, even if he is not turning them into runs.
And here’s the rub: both teams had a good point. Commit and go with it creates confidence, but when you are not winning, it is also a hard sell. In the eyes of the decision makers, Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill, which would they put more value on – commitment or results?
The Future vs The Familiar: Deep Dasgupta & Usman Ghani’s Views
Deep Dasgupta is all for looking forward. He believes that Nair’s time is up, not simply because of the unsatisfactory numbers but because he fails to answer key technical questions. “You need someone who looks secure and promising,” Dasgupta remarked with mild ambiguity, and displayed a belief that Sudharsan, who looked calm and scored a competent 30 on debut, would be a prospect worth backing for the future.
Ghani stated that Nair’s dismissals were not all bad — some were just good balls. Ghani feels Nair is mentally tough and deserves to see the series through, not least as he’s had an excellent first-class career with over 8600 runs at nearly 49 averages.
It’s the age-old cricket dilemma: do you trust experience with some recent failures in the books, or do you trust raw talent in the future? In a transition phase for India, this could determine the middle order for years to come.
What would you do, though, if you were in Gambhir’s position, gambled on Sudharsan, or gambled again on Nair? Either way, Manchester is going to tell us as a nation if India can finally unlock their No. 3 conundrum.
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