Former India cricketer, Aakash Chopra has expressed his support for the under-pressure batter Karun Nair, urging the team management to provide the seasoned domestic run-scorer with at least one more opportunity in the current Test series against England. Nair, who was recalled to the Indian Test side after a prolific domestic season, has displayed elegance at the crease but has been unable to convert his starts into substantial scores. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra reflected on Nair’s challenging international journey and stressed that his return deserves a fair chance. “I would say give Karun Nair one more chance for sure, because this is now Karun Nair’s final chance,” Chopra said. “He played earlier, scored a triple century, and then got dropped. It was slightly unfair at that time.” After being dropped despite scoring a historic 303* in 2016, Nair struggled to find his way back into the Test setup. However, a move to Vidarbha and a series of consistent performances brought him back into contention. “He scored a lot of runs and returned to the team. He asked cricket to give him a second chance. He went to Vidarbha, and cricket gave him a second chance. However, at some stage, that story will also end, and this is the match,” Chopra warned. In the second Test at Edgbaston, the Indian team made a bold decision by dropping the promising young batter Sai Sudharsan and promoting Nair to the crucial No. 3 spot. Despite showing glimpses of his quality, the 32-year-old couldn’t capitalise on the opportunity. “In the first two matches, we have seen glimpses that he can bat well, but he hasn’t scored too many runs,” Chopra noted. Calling for a longer rope, Chopra advocated for a more generous approach to evaluating comebacks. “I would say give him a minimum of one more Test match. Then it will be six innings. You can take a call after six innings,” he explained. “When you are giving a chance to a player, err on the side of giving one extra game rather than one fewer. Comebacks don’t happen easily. Give him enough chances to fail or succeed.” Chopra also discussed another change made to India’s XI, which saw Nitish Kumar Reddy replace Shardul Thakur. While Reddy offers all-round value, Chopra felt he doesn’t bring the same bowling edge. “Although Reddy can bowl and bat, he is not as effective a bowler as Shardul Thakur,” he said. India head into the third Test at Lord’s with the series level at 1-1, scheduled to start from July 10 at Lord’s. (With IANS Inputs)