As the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy now moves on to its business end, the series is nicely poised with both sides in contention to achieve a series victory.
While England currently have a 2-1 lead, India will have to win both their remaining matches to make a comeback in the series and clinch the trophy.
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India is coming off a heartbreaking loss at the Lord's, where they failed to chase down a par total of 193. The 22-run defeat also put them behind in the series scoreline.
Following the loss at Lord's, the Indian batting has faced criticism, and one batter who has been at the center of it all is India's No.3, Karun Nair.
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What did Aakash Chopra say about Karun Nair?
Nair, India's current No.3, has not had a very impressive run since his return to Team India. In his 6 innings so far in the series, he has returned with 131 runs at an average of just 21. He also remains the only batter in India's top 6 without a half-century in this series.
Aakash Chopra, a former Indian batter, wants India to rethink the No. 3 spot as Nair has not put up big scores in this crucial spot in the lineup. However, he still wants Nait to get one more chance in Manchester before deciding the batter's fate in Test cricket.
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Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "Karun Nair hasn't looked completely out of sorts." He mentioned that it doesn't feel like Karun does not belongs to this stage. He has batted well, but at the same time, he hasn't scored so many runs as to confirm his place in the side.
Aakash further mentioned that the batter is batting fine and he could get another go in Manchester. "He hasn't grabbed his chances with both hands, but he's batting fairly okay...I am still tempted. Let him play one more game at 3. Play one more than one less, because he might not get another chance after this."
The former batter further mentioned that cricket had given Nair another chance, but the Manchester Test might well be his last opportunity to make a statement. Chopra noted that if Nair fails to perform in the fourth Test, he might have to be replaced with a youngster like Sai Sudharsan.
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What is next for Team India?
Despite the scoreline being 2-1 in favor of the hosts, India has been the dominant side in the series so far. Out of the 15 days of cricket, India has dominated over 10 days in the series; however, the results haven't been on their side.
With the series on the line, India are in for another tough five days at a venue where they have never won a Test match. The visitors will have to put up a monumental performance to turn the tide and level the series.