Mohammad Kaif, a former Indian cricketer, has publicly stated that skipper Shubman Gill had the option of continuing to back Karun Nair in the fourth Test against England. However, Kaif argues that by voting against the same, Gill has not done honour to the characteristics of a good leader.
Nair returned to the Indian team after an eight-year absence but was unable to stage a fairytale comeback. The batter failed to convert his starts in the first three Tests, leaving India down 1-2 in the five-match series. Nair scored 131 runs in six innings, averaging 21.83, with a high score of 40. As a result, he was removed from the current fourth match.
“Today was Shubman Gill’s time to support Karun, who was down but deserved another shot. He should’ve chosen Karun Nair. Chance squandered to win respect when it comes to making tough decisions as a leader,” Kaif wrote on X an hour into Day 1 of play, as India made three changes for the penultimate game of the five-match series.
Check Kaif’s post here
Today was Shubman Gill’s chance to back karun who was down but deserved one more chance. He should have picked Karun Nair. Chance missed to earn the respect when it comes to making tough decisions as a leader.
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) July 23, 2025
Gill selects Sudharsan over Nair for Manchester match.
At the toss, the Indian captain confirmed that Sai Sudharsan will replace Nair in the Manchester Test. Shardul Thakur and Anshul Kamboj replaced the injured Akash Deep and Nitish Kumar Reddy in India’s playing XI.
“I was really confused. A good toss to lose. Our performance in the last three Tests has been exceptional. We lost several crucial moments, but we won more sessions than they did. You need a break. All three tests were rigorous. It looks like an excellent surface. Nice and hard. There is some rain in the forecast over the next four to five days. Three changes: Sai Sudharsan takes the position of Karun. At the toss, Gill announced that Kamboj and Shardul would replace Akash Deep and Reddy, who were injured.
England also made a change, bringing in Liam Dawson to replace Shoaib Bashir, who suffered a hand injury in the third Test at Lords.
India
