IND vs SA: Karun Nair’s cryptic post fuels selection debate amid India’s batting collapse on day 3 of Guwahati Test

While the Indian batting line-up crumbled dramatically on Day 3 of the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati, batsman who has fallen out of favour Karun Nair posted a cryptic message on social media that immediately sent shockwaves through the cricket fraternity. The timing of the post is widely interpreted as a subtle but powerful expression of the 33-year-old’s frustration at his continued exclusion from the national team despite a dazzling run of domestic cricket.

Karun Nair’s cryptic message amid India’s batting collapse

The controversy stems from India’s dismal first-innings response to South Africa’s impressive total of 489. After a respectable start, India’s middle order disintegrated, plummeting from 95/2 to a precarious 122/7, before finally being dismissed for 201. The series of dismissals, with players like Sai Sudharsan (15), Dhruv Jurel (0), and Rishabh pants (7), highlighted a glaring vulnerability in India’s batting unit on home soil.

It was against this backdrop of on-field disaster that Nair took to X (formerly Twitter) and posted the enigmatic message: “Some circumstances bring with them a feeling you know by heart – and the silence of not being there adds its own sting.”

Some circumstances bring with them a feeling you know by heart – and the silence of not being there adds its own sting.

— Karun Nair (@karun126) November 24, 2025

The post immediately went viral and resonated deeply with fans who have long campaigned for the inclusion of the only other Indian Test triple-centurion besides Virender Sehwag.

The conversation was further amplified when former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin responded to Nair’s tweet with a short but loaded reply: “Hello [hey man] followed by a laughing emoji.”

Hello 😂 https://t.co/PiLMwlYoCe

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) November 24, 2025

Also READ: Fans seethed after India showed disastrous batting against South Africa on day 3 of Guwahati Test

South Africa in commanding position after Marco Jansen’s bowling brilliance

Day 3 emphatically belonged to South Africa, who consolidated their vice grip on the Test match. Upon resuming their first innings at 9/0, India’s openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal And KL Rahulstarted steadily and set up a 65-run stand. However, the moment Rahul fell Keshav Maharajthe innings suffered a monumental collapse.

The middle order was then torn apart by the towering left-arm quick Marco Jansenwho was the captain in chief and finished with figures of 6 for 48. India lost four wickets for just seven runs and tumbled from a stable 95/1 to a desperate 102/4 at the tea break. This included the wickets of Sai Sudharsan (15), Dhruv Jurel (0), and a rash shot by the substitute captain Rishabh pants (7).

India’s only significant resistance came from a grim partnership of 72 countries Washington Sundar (48) and Kuldeep Yadav (19), who demonstrated the application that the top class lacked. However, their resistance merely postponed the inevitable, and India were eventually bowled out for just 201 runs, taking a huge first-innings lead of 288 runs. South Africa, opting not to enforce the follow-on, extended their dominance by ending the day at 26/0, pushing their overall lead to a daunting 314 runs.

Also READ: Fans erupt as Marco Jansen’s bowling masterclass puts South Africa in the driver’s seat on Day 3 of the second Test against India