Karun Nair scores maiden fifty for India, gives his Test career a lifeline

Karun Nair will have the best opportunity to turn his return to the national set-up after an eight-year break into a potentially career-defining moment when India return to bat on the second day of the fifth Test against England on Friday.

The 33-year-old right-hander, recalled after missing the previous match at Manchester, ended day one unbeaten on 52 (98). It was the highest score by Indians on a difficult day at The Oval that witnessed frequent rain delays. Variable bounce and plenty of swing made it a good toss to win for stand-in skipper Ollie Pope. India ended a rain-hit day one at 204/6 (64 overs).

Karun famously scored a triple hundred (303) in his third Test against England in Chennai in December 2016. However, he had not registered a fifty before. He had posted average scores of 0, 20, 31, 26, 40 and 14 across six innings in the first three Tests.

Karun came in to bat at No 4 after captain Shubman Gill was run out while trying to steal a non-existent single. Karun took his time to settle, opening his account after 10 deliveries with a clip toward midwicket.

He survived a few close calls, particularly against Jamie Overton, who unsuccessfully reviewed a leg before. Then, an inside-edge off Chris Woakes narrowly missed the bails. He also played a delightful cover drive against Josh Tongue.

Ahead of the series, Karun scored 204 for India A against England Lions at Canterbury, guaranteeing him a spot in the opening Test. The Bengaluru-Malayali had a remarkable domestic campaign that culminated in the Ranji Trophy triumph, paving the way for his return to the Indian team since last playing in March 2017.