IND vs ENG 1st Test: Karun Nair’s 8-year wait for Test comeback cut short by Ollie Pope’s spectacular catch

Karun Nair let down his fans during his Test return after an eight-year hiatus, as he was dismissed for a duck by England captain Ben Stokes on the second day of the Leeds Test. He came to the crease following Shubman Gill's dismissal but failed to make an impact, with Ollie Pope executing a remarkable catch. Stokes bowled a full outswinger that was wide of the off stump, prompting Nair to attempt a big cover drive. Unfortunately, he could not time the shot correctly, and Pope made a stunning catch at short cover. The ball was heading away, but he dived fully to his left and caught it with both hands above his head. Nair managed to face only four balls in his first Test match at Headingley.

Ollie Pope... that is OUTSTANDING! 

A flying catch to his left means Karun Nair departs for a duck.

 pic.twitter.com/Vlaugc7Bm3

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 21, 2025

Interestingly, Sai Sudharsan also faced just four balls in his Test debut before being dismissed by Stokes. Nair earned his place in the Indian team for the England tour due to his outstanding performances in the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy for Vidarbha. He batted at No. 3 and No. 4 in two unofficial Test matches against the England Lions but was assigned to bat at No. 6 in the opening Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

Nair was dropped from the Indian team after scoring a triple century against England in Chennai in 2006. He was also removed from Karnataka’s Ranji Trophy squad in 2002. At 33 years old, he played for Vidarbha in the 2024-25 domestic season, amassing 863 runs at an average of 53.93 in the Ranji Trophy.

Additionally, he achieved five centuries in eight innings during the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He also scored an unbeaten 186 runs in the first unofficial Test against the England Lions but could not make runs on his Test return.

After being asked to bat first, the Men in Blue dominated the opening day of the Leeds Test, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill both scoring centuries. On Day 2, Rishabh Pant also reached his seventh Test hundred, but England mounted a strong comeback around the lunch break, with India collapsing from 430/7 to 471 all out. Josh Tongue took 4 wickets to finish off the tail, while Ben Stokes also ended with 4 wickets.

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