ENG vs IND 2025: 'Karun Nair stood tall alongside Mr. Reliable, Washington Sundar' - Varun Aaron

As India had to bat first in the ongoing fifth Test of the series against England, the top-order failed to live to the expectations. Yashasvi Jaiswal departed cheaply, and shortly after, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, and Sai Sudharsan too made their way back. When it came to the middle-order, Ravindra Jadeja and Dhruv Jurel too could not impress with the bat. The only solid notable contribution for the Indian team on the opening day was Karun Nair.

Nair came back after being dropped from the fourth Test. As wickets kept falling at regular intervals, Nair held his end firm and collected his second-ever fifty-plus total in red-ball internationals, the first being his famous 303 in 2017. He will resume his innings from 52* and will certainly look to get to the long-awaited three-figure mark. Former cricketer Varun Aaron was impressed with the way Nair capitalized his chance to Indian team's benefit.

“Karun Nair played a brilliant knock today. He knew how crucial this match was for him — potentially his last chance with the Indian Test team. But he capitalised, scoring a composed 51 on a track that offered plenty. Yes, the bowling wasn’t always tight — Josh Tongue sprayed it around a bit — but Karun stood tall alongside Mr. Reliable, Washington Sundar. What really stood out to me was how purposefully Karun used soft hands to anything outside off-stump,” Aaron said on JioHotstar after Stumps on the opening day. 

“Except for one over against Tongue, where he flashed at a few, he returned to his disciplined approach quickly, It was a very Karun Nair-type innings — the kind we see in domestic cricket. He makes bowlers come to him, and once they bowl under his eye-line, it’s meat and drink. He’s so balanced at the crease — rarely gets trapped LBW, and he timed his drives perfectly without trying to over hit,” he added.

Aaron lauds Sundar's dynamism

Washington Sundar had to bat a little up the order at Manchester as Rishabh Pant had been dealing a toe fracture. He smashed a century to help the visitors manage a draw and avoid a series' defeat. Coming to London, Sundar had to shift to his usual batting position in order to accommodate the specialist batters. In a changed role, the Tamil Nadu-born stitched a crucial partnership for the seventh wicket with Nair as India ended Day 1 with 204-6.

“Washington might have felt a little short-changed in the last game where others scored hundreds and he batted at No. 8. But today, he showed how positive he is — not with flashy shots, but with intent. He kept stepping forward, stayed on the front foot, and looked in control. This partnership with Karun has been very promising, and with the sun expected to be out tomorrow, if they survive that first half-hour, they could take India to a strong position,” the cricketer-turned-commentator said.

The second day is expected to be a deciding factor for India, if they want to fancy their chances of winning this game. The last recognized pair is currently batting at the crease, and their longer stay in the middle will ultimately help India maximize their first innings' total.