India's KL Rahul in action.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Leeds: When the Indian team’s playing XI for the opening Test against England here was announced, it was a significant moment of pride for Karnataka cricket as three from the state made the cut.
KL Rahul and Prasidh Krishna were certain starters, but the moment Karun Nair’s name was confirmed, it was almost a throwback to the 1990s and 2000s, although the latter has moved on to Vidarbha.
The final decade of the previous millennium and a few years past that were a glorious era for Karnataka cricket — a state with a rich history of producing some of the legends of the game — from where a whole bunch of them represented the country simultaneously. Very often, the playing XIs would feature three players. Team sheets on many occasions would have Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad and Sunil Joshi with at least three playing alongside each other. David Johnson, Vijay Bharadwaj and Dodda Ganesh also earned Test caps in that era.
Statistically, the last time three players from Karnataka were in the playing XI of an Indian team in a Test match was the game against the West Indies at Kolkata in 2002 when Dravid, Srinath and Kumble were involved in the drawn affair. While Nair is technically a Vidarbha player now, considering his last outing for a domestic side was for the central Indian team, the 33-year-old represented Karnataka at the senior level for over a decade and is a domicile in the southern state.
KSCA president Raghuram Bhat was ecstatic at the trio being picked for the opening Test. “This is a proud moment for Karnataka,” the former India player told DH. “This shows how great the system is at KSCA — cricket and infrastructure-wise. Hats off to the trio for making the State proud, and with Devdutt (Padikkal) also in the mix, it’s just great news for Karnataka. I’m sure it’s a sign of great things to come.”
Former Karnataka skipper R Vinay Kumar, under whose captaincy Rahul, Nair and Prasidh made their state debuts, showered praise on the trio. “I’m guessing this is happening after almost two decades. When it comes to Rahul, we always knew that this guy had the talent. He would bat for long hours in the nets and was an extremely hard-working kid. His technique was superb, especially in red-ball cricket. We all knew he was cut for bigger things, and that’s why he has been part of the Indian team for over a decade.”
Nair to return to Karnataka?
There is a buzz that Karun Nair is planning to return to Karnataka following a two-year stint with Vidarbha and KSCA president Raghuram Bhat didn’t deny such a possibility reports DHNS from Leeds. “Yes there are talks but it’s too early to say anything on that front” said Bhat. “The season is a few months away. For now let’s focus on three players from the State representing India at the same time. When such a move comes to fruition we’ll make a formal announcement.” Nair was an integral part of the all-conquering Karnataka team that won a double-treble (Ranji Trophy Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy) in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.