During the time when the Indian batting order experienced a significant collapse on the third day of the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati, cricketer Karun Nair, who hasn’t been playing recently, made a puzzling announcement on social media, which quickly created a buzz in the cricketing community. The timing of his statement has been largely seen as a subtle yet powerful way for the 33-year-old to express his disappointment at not being selected for the national team, despite his impressive performance in domestic cricket.
Karun Nair’s cryptic message amid India’s batting collapse
The controversy started with India’s poor response in the first innings to South Africa’s strong total of 489. After a promising start, the Indian middle order fell apart, dropping from 95/2 to a worrying 122/7, before eventually being bowled out for 201. The series of dismissals, including players like Sai Sudharsan (15), Dhruv Jurel (0), and Rishabh Pant (7), highlighted a clear weakness in India’s batting lineup on their home ground.
It was against this backdrop of failure on the field that Nair posted on X (formerly Twitter), sharing the mysterious message: “Some conditions carry a feel you know by heart — and the silence of not being out there adds its own sting.”
Some conditions carry a feel you know by heart — and the silence of not being out there adds its own sting.
— Karun Nair (@karun126) November 24, 2025
The post quickly became popular, resonating strongly with fans who have been advocating for the inclusion of the only other Indian Test triple-centurion besides Virender Sehwag.
The conversation gained even more attention when former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin responded to Nair’s tweet with a short but meaningful reply: “Adei [hey man] followed by a laughing emoji.”
Adei😂 https://t.co/PiLMwlYoCe
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) November 24, 2025
South Africa in commanding position after Marco Jansen’s bowling brilliance
Day 3 clearly belonged to South Africa, who tightened their grip on the Test match. After resuming their first innings at 9/0, India’s opening batsmen, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, made a steady start, putting together a 65-run partnership. However, as soon as Rahul was dismissed by Keshav Maharaj, the innings suffered a major collapse.
The middle order was then torn apart by the tall left-arm fast bowler Marco Jansen, who was the main destroyer, finishing with figures of 6 for 48. India lost four wickets for only seven runs, falling from a stable 95/1 to a desperate 102/4 by the Tea break. This included the wickets of Sai Sudharsan (15), Dhruv Jurel (0), and a reckless shot from stand-in captain Rishabh Pant (7).
India’s only significant resistance came from a determined 72-run partnership between Washington Sundar (48) and Kuldeep Yadav (19), who demonstrated the application that the top order lacked. However, their defiance only delayed the inevitable, and India were eventually bowled out for just 201, conceding a huge 288-run first-innings lead. South Africa, choosing not to enforce the follow-on, extended their dominance by ending the day at 26/0, increasing their overall lead to a daunting 314 runs.
