India`s No. 3 batter Karun Nair piled on the runs in the domestic circuit to make a deserving comeback to the Test team after a gap of eight years. However, going by his performances in the first three Tests in the ongoing series against England, his place in the playing XI for the fourth fixture, starting on July 23 at Manchester, is uncertain.

Poor run of scores

Nair, 33, scores in the six innings on this England tour so far are 0, 20, 31, 26, 40 and 14, totalling 131 runs in the three matches.  The scores clearly aren’t impressive, but his Ranji Trophy-winning coach Usman Ghani, believes the team management should persist with him for good reason. “Karun has unfortunately got out to a few very good deliveries [on the England tour]. He got a good ball in the last innings at Lord’s as well, where he left the ball [but was trapped LBW by pacer Brydon Carse]. It’s possible that he may have gone into a defensive mode. He probably was in two minds about whether to leave or play that one. But I believe whatever innings he has played, have been very sweet. I think he will be retained for the remaining two Tests,” Ghani, who coached Vidarbha to the Ranji Trophy title last season, told mid-day over the phone from Nagpur on Thursday.

Usman Ghani