As the Indian men’s cricket team braces for a period of hard transition following the retirement of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Test cricket, former captain Anil Kumble has thrown his weight behind Karun Nair for a sensational comeback. With the five-match Test series in England starting next month and a massive void left at the No. 4 position — occupied for over three decades by Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar before him — Kumble believes Nair could be the right man to step in.

India are entering uncharted territory. For the first time since 1989, when Sachin Tendulkar made his debut, India will tour England for a Test series without Tendulkar or Kohli in the ranks. Rohit Sharma’s retirement compounds the middle-order crisis, leaving the team to figure out a new batting blueprint that may have to rely more on form than reputation.