'I scored runs when no one else managed'

Nair left disappointed with the decision and said he expected to be in the side for the home series.

“Yes, I did expect the selection. I don’t know what to say. No words. I don’t have many comments to make. It’s very difficult for me to answer. You should probably ask the selectors what they are thinking,” said a dejected Karun to TOI.

“The only thing is, in the last Test match, I scored a fifty when no one else managed in the first innings. So, yeah, I thought I contributed to the team, especially in the last game that we won. But, yeah, it is what it is. Those things don’t matter,” he added.

Nair had a disappointing England Test tour, only managing a total of 205 runs at an average of 25.62 across four matches, with only one half-century to show for his efforts.

Karun expressed his disappointment, stating that while he gave his best, the selectors’ decision leaves him no option but to return to domestic cricket and prove himself again. “There’s nothing much I can say. There’s nothing much that I can do to change anything. So, yeah, I just have to keep going. At least from my point of view, not from others’ point of view. In my head, I’m very clear. I did my best, they have made the decision, and you have to respect that,” he said.

‘Expected more from Karun’

Earlier on Thursday, Agarkar didn’t mince his words on Karun while announcing the team in Dubai. “Frankly, we expected a little more from Karun. He played four Tests, and you spoke about one innings. That’s the way it is. We feel Padikkal offers a little more at this point. Wish we could give everyone 15-20 Tests,” said Agarkar.

Click here to read article