Karun Nair made a resounding statement to the Indian selectors with a commanding double century on Day 2 of the first unofficial Test between India A and England Lions in Canterbury. (Day 2 Blog)
The 33-year-old right-hander struck a magnificent 204 off 281 deliveries, anchoring India A to a massive first-innings total and reinforcing his credentials ahead of India바카라™s upcoming five-match Test series against England.
Walking in early on Day 1 after skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran was dismissed for just 8 in the sixth over by Josh Hull, Nair looked in supreme touch from the outset. He weathered the new-ball spell and stitched together several key partnerships to guide India A out of early trouble.
Nair first added 39 runs with Yashasvi Jaiswal for the second wicket, before the left-hander was dismissed in the 17th over by Eddie Jack. Unfazed, Nair found strong support in Sarfaraz Khan, and the duo combined for a match-defining 181-run stand for the third wicket. Sarfaraz eventually fell to Hull in the 56th over, but not before helping India A regain the upper hand.
The momentum continued with wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, who partnered with Nair for another 195 runs in a dominant fourth-wicket stand. Jurel바카라™s dismissal in the 95th over by Ajeet Dale did little to slow down Nair, who reached his double century with a mix of elegance and grit.
Nair바카라™s innings finally came to an end at 204, caught by James Rew off Zaman Akhter, but not before he had batted nearly the entire two days and taken India A past the 400-run mark. It was Nair바카라™s fourth double century in first-class cricket and his second on English soil, following an unbeaten 202 for Northamptonshire against Glamorgan in 2023.
Known for his historic triple century in Test cricket 바카라” he is only the second Indian after Virender Sehwag to achieve the feat 바카라” Nair바카라™s latest knock is a timely reminder of his class and perseverance. His previous best for India A had been 114* against South Africa A decade ago, and this innings is sure to rekindle conversations around his inclusion in the senior side.
With India바카라™s Test series against England set to begin on June 20 in Leeds, Nair바카라™s double ton could not have come at a better time, especially with competition fierce for spots in the middle order.
