Karun Nair made 131 runs in six innings on England tour with best score of 40.
Kotak also spoke about Sai Sudarsan’s performance at no. 3 in the two tests he has played thus far. Sudharsan was out for a duck in the second innings despite scoring a half-century in the first.
Additionally, Kotak believed that Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair had gotten off to a strong start but had failed to turn it into meaningful runs.
Kotak highlights Sai's strong batting in the opening inning of the fourth Test at Manchester as a plus, despite the worries about India's difficulties at the No. 3 position. In the opening match of the series, India selected Sai at number three, but he scored 30 runs in the second innings and zero in the first.
Karun was elevated in the hierarchy, and he was dismissed. Nair, meanwhile, has only managed 131 runs at an average of 21.83 in three Test matches.
While speaking to the media, Kotak said, "I don't think it has been a problem, to be very honest. Yes, after Karun also got a few starts and got out. And then Sai also, in the first game, scored 30 in the second inning and got out. But I don't think it is an area of concern, to be very honest. And the way Sai batted in the first inning was very good."
Kotak also discussed Nair's removal from the starting lineup in the fourth test and Sai's inclusion. He stated that Nair may have been under pressure throughout the match; therefore, the decision to make the change does not imply that the team management does not support him.
"Coach Gautam Gambhir and Captain Shubman Gill can talk about that. When Gill said we'll back Karun, he would have meant as a batter. He didn't do badly. He got starts.
The way he has batted, he has not played badly. He has gotten a good start every time. Sometimes, if the team management feels that at this stage, maybe in the 4th test match, there can be pressure built on him. So if we can change it, we can do it. It does not mean that the team management is not backing him," he said.
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