After a long wait of 9 years, Karun Nair finally found a way to record his second 50+ score in test cricket at The Oval. On Day 01 of the fifth test in the Anderson Tendulkar Trophy 2025, the right-handed batter remained unbeaten by scoring 52 runs from 98 balls (including 7 fours) at a strike rate of 53.06.
The 33-year-old who marked his debut in the longest format back in 2016, scored a sensational triple century in his third test innings. Moreover, he was the second Indian batsman after Virender Sehwag to smash a triple ton.
Despite such heroic performances, he was sidelined from the test squad following just four failures. As a consequence, Nair struggled for eight years to make a comeback to the test side.
How Karun Nair Saved India From a Drubbing Start in the Fifth Test?
On the opening day of the fifth test, Karun Nair stepped in when his team was left struggling at 83/3 in 27.2 overs, following the dismissals of Yashasvi Jaiswal (2 runs), KL Rahul (14 runs), and Shubman Gill (21 runs).
However, Nair built a 70-run partnership with Dhruv Jurel for the 6th wicket that accelerated his team’s total to 153/6 in 49.3 overs. Even though Jurel departed after scoring 19 runs, an unbeaten 51-run partnership for the 7th wicket between Washington Sundar and Nair steered India to 204/6 in 64 overs at stumps.
Despite the rainshowers making the playing conditions tough for the Indian batters, the middle-order batter scored a gritty fifty and concluded the day unbeaten, which helped India surpass the 200-run mark.
List of Batters Who Scored Two 50+ Scores in Tests After Longest Gap Since 2001
The following list proves that Karun Nair had the fourth-longest gap scoring two 50+ scores in tests compared to the batters listed below since 2001:
| Batter | Nation | Test Career Span | Second 50+ Score After Longest Gap (Span) |
| Parthiv Patel | India | 2004 to 2016 | 12 Years and 43 Days |
| Fawad Alam | Pakistan | 2009 to 2020 | 11 Years and 167 Days |
| Robin Peterson | South Africa | 2003 to 2013 | 9 Years and 289 Days |
| Karun Nair | India | 2016 to Present (2025) | 8 Years and 227 Days |
| Elton Chigumbura | Zimbabwe | 2005 to 2013 | 8 Years and 109 Days |
List of Karun Nair’s Scores in Tests
As Karun Nair is playing his 10th test match (14th innings) in the ongoing fifth test against England, he has amassed 557 runs so far, which includes a triple century and a fifty, and here is a detailed list of his scores:
| Opponent Team | Venue | Year | Score | Balls Faced | 4s | 6s |
| England | Mohali | 2016 | 4 | 4 | 1 | – |
| England | Wankhede | 2016 | 13 | 18 | 2 | – |
| England | Chennai | 2016 | *303 | 381 | 32 | 4 |
| Australia | Bengaluru | 2017 | 26 | 39 | 3 | – |
| Australia | Bengaluru | 2017 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – |
| Australia | Ranchi | 2017 | 23 | 47 | 2 | – |
| Australia | Dharamsala | 2017 | 5 | 16 | 1 | – |
| England | Leeds | 2025 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – |
| England | Leeds | 2025 | 20 | 54 | 3 | – |
| England | Birmingham | 2025 | 31 | 50 | 5 | – |
| England | Birmingham | 2025 | 26 | 46 | 5 | – |
| England | Lord’s | 2025 | 40 | 62 | 4 | – |
| England | Lord’s | 2025 | 14 | 33 | 1 | – |
| England | The Oval | 2025 | *52 (batting) | 98 | 7 | – |
So, there is an opportunity for Nair to convert his fifty into a high-scoring knock to bolster his team’s total on Day 02.
Former Indian Cricketers Heap Praise on Karun Nair’s Return to Form
India’s former wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik said that Karun Nair’s career is not yet finished. He believes that the way he batted against England in tough pitch conditions proves his high-level potential and can continue performing well:
“Excellent! Karun Nair played well. This was indeed a top-notch half-century in very tough conditions. He is doing well again and deserves a comeback. Suppose, if he didn’t play this test match, then the team management could have searched for alternatives,” Karthik commented.
Likewise, former Indian pacer Varun Aaron was excited seeing the way Karun maintained his composure, particularly while tackling the deliveries outside the off-stump:
“Yeah! This was his last chance, but he made the best use of it in the ongoing fifth test. Although the pitch was making the Indian batters’ task complicated, Karun stayed strong. His attempt to leave the deliveries outside the off-stump makes him the standout performer,” Aaron said after the gameplay on Day 01.
Final Opinion
Having played his last test match for India in March 2017, Karun Nair’s return to test cricket marks his prolonged absence and lack of opportunities. The right-handed batter who was once celebrated for his unbeaten 303-run knock against England in 2016 has been on the low end of selection for many years.
Especially, his composed knock against England’s strong pace attack and under cloudy conditions stabilized India’s innings after the top order’s early collapse.
As the test match is set to commence on Day 02, Nair’s performance would not only help to change India’s fortunes in the ongoing series decider at The Oval, but also secure his spot in the test squad.