Follow UsIndia head coach Gautam Gambhir clarified that he and the team will not be judging Karun Nair by just a few games, emphasising his double century that he scored during the first of the two four-day games against England Lions.
However, he also said that he has been playing well for a long time in domestic cricket and also has experience of playing county cricket, which means that the team could utilise his services on the tour.
“Always good to have the experience of Karun. He played County cricket there, and he is in superb form. His experience will come in handy,” Gambhir said in a pre-tour press conference on June 5 (Thursday) in Mumbai.
“More importantly, we won't judge someone by one or two Test matches. If someone has scored heaps of runs, he will be given a decent run,” he added.
Gambhir has been vocal about rewarding performances in domestic cricket and not just the IPL. Speaking on those lines, he said that Nair’s selection in the national side after a gap of eight years since his last Test in Indian colours, will inspire players on the domestic circuit to keep knocking on the doors of the national team as it will definitely open one day.
“It's just great for domestic cricket. All the youngsters will know its importance. If you keep doing well there, doors are never shut for you,” he said.
India will play a five-match Test series in England, which will begin with the first Test in Headingley from June 20 onwards.