Karun Nair must have anticipated what awaited him in England — the moving ball, the fickle bounce, and the ceaseless examination of both technique and temperament. His time with Northamptonshire in the County Championship had prepared him for precisely this kind of challenge, shaping a muscle memory attuned to the unique demands of English conditions. Now, as the ball darted and jagged under grey skies, Karun called upon that bank of experience. A batter with two first-class triple centuries to his name, he reached into his deep well of skill and composure, crafting responses to the probing questions posed by the pitch, the weather, and a relentless English attack.
