Karun Nair dismissed for 4-ball duck on Test return
21 Jun 2025

Indian cricketer Karun Nair made his return to Test cricket after a gap of more than 8 years. He is playing his first match in the format since 2017 during India's first Test against England.

Nair walked out to bat when India were 430/4 on Day 2. However, he failed to get going and perished to Ben Stokes, reducing India to 447/5.

This was not the return Nair would have hoped for.

Nair fails to add to India's tally of runs
Dismissal

Nair started by a comfortable defense of Shoaib Bashir's bowling.

He faced Stokes next and the first ball was almost defended back onto his own stumps. The third ball was sprayed down the leg.

The 4th delivery Nair faced saw him chase a full outswinging delivery wide of off stump. Ollie Pope completed a brilliant catch.

Longest breaks between 2 Test matches for Indians
Record gap

Nair's last Test was against Australia in Dharamshala back in 2017.

As per Sportstar, Nair's gap of 8 years and 84 days is now the 10th longest in Indian cricket history.

The record for the longest break between two Test matches is held by Lala Amarnath, who had a gap of 12 years and 129 days between his third and fourth Tests from 1934 to 1946.

Jaydev Unadkat holds the third spot with a gap of 12 years and two days between his first and second Tests, behind Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi.

India are 454/7 at lunch on Day 2
Fact

India were going strongly before England found a way back after dismissing Shubman Gill. Once Nair departed, England got two more wickets in the form of Rishabh Pant and Shardul Thakur. India are 457/4 at lunch on Day 2.