Dinesh Karthik feels that the Indian selectors have given a clear message to Karun Nair that they’re moving on from him after the batter was dropped from the India squad for the West Indies Test series. Karun got his second chance with the Indian team during the England tour, but he failed to capitalise on it. In four matches, Karun scored 205 runs and hit just one fifty.
This forced the hands of the selectors as they decided to drop the 33-year-old from the side. Speaking on Cricbuzz, Karthik said that it is tough on Karun but claimed that even the batter would admit he could have scored more runs in a few innings. The former wicketkeeper further stated that if Karun played the West Indies series, he would have got runs but said that the selectors are now looking at youngsters.
“The fact that Karun Nair is not looked at any more means they are moving on from him, which is very tough on him. I think he played in one of the toughest series on tough pitches. But in all fairness, he’ll look back himself and say, ‘Could I have scored more runs in a couple of innings at the start, in the first three Tests?’ Because in the last Test, he got a 50 on a tough pitch,” said Karthik.
“I can promise you if he was playing this series, he would get runs. It’s almost a given, the way he’s batting. The fact is they are saying, ‘Big series, we have him an opportunity and he didn’t deliver. So we move on to somebody young for the future’.”
Karun came into the squad because Padikkal was injured
Devdutt Padikkal has come into the side to replace Karun and Karthik feels that the move is justified. The former wicketkeeper claimed that the southpaw would have been in the side for England, if not for his injury.
“I really feel Devdutt being given an opportunity is a good thing because he has got 80 in Australia (for India A last year). He’s got skills because Australia is a very hard place to play and he got runs there. And the England series last year, he got a 50 in Dharamsala. So he has earned his stripes. He got injured and that’s why Karun Nair came into the squad. Otherwise Devdutt would have been part of the squad from day one in England. So he has earned his recall into the Indian team,” said Karthik.
BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar said about the decision to drop Karun and said they expected more from him.
