As India gears up for the crucial fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, Manchester, the spotlight is firmly on their playing XI. With the series hanging in the balance at 2-1 in England’s favour and injuries continuing to trouble the Indian camp, the team management finds itself at a selection crossroads. The trio of Karun Nair, B Sai Sudharsan, and Kuldeep Yadav are under intense scrutiny ahead of the must-win encounter.

Karun Nair, who earned a long-awaited recall to the Indian Test setup after a solid domestic season, has yet to justify his selection on this tour. Across six innings in England, the middle-order batter has mustered just 131 runs, including a duck, raising questions about his place in the side. Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan, who made his Test debut in the first match of the series, was dropped after just one appearance where he scored 0 and 30—hardly enough time to prove himself.

Yet former India spinner Harbhajan Singh believes the team must stick with Nair. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan highlighted the inconsistency in the opportunities given to players.

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“Indeed, Karun hasn’t scored heavily, but if you’ve backed him so far, continue to do so. Every player deserves a fair chance. Shubman Gill and KL Rahul also had lean patches, but they were backed. Why should Karun or Sai be treated any differently?”.

Harbhajan also advocated for the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI, arguing that India doesn’t need a long batting line-up at Old Trafford. “Bring in Kuldeep. You’ve already got depth in Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja, who has been outstanding with the bat,” he asserted.

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The veteran off-spinner further expressed disappointment over Sudharsan being sidelined after just one game. “You can’t judge a player in one Test. He’s talented and deserves a longer run. If Karun is being persisted with, then Sai also deserves that backing,” Harbhajan concluded.

As India searches for the right combination to bounce back in the series, these selection debates could have a significant bearing on the outcome in Manchester.