New Delhi: As the Indian men’s cricket team braces for a period of hard transition following the retirement of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Test cricket, former captain Anil Kumble has thrown his weight behind Karun Nair for a sensational comeback. With the five-match Test series in England starting next month and a massive void left at the No. 4 position — occupied for over three decades by Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar before him — Kumble believes Nair could be the right man to step in.

India is entering uncharted territory. For the first time since 1989, when Sachin Tendulkar made his debut, India will tour England for a Test series without Tendulkar or Kohli in the ranks. Rohit Sharma’s retirement compounds the middle-order crisis, leaving the team to figure out a new batting blueprint that may have to rely more on form than reputation.

“There has been no proper conversation around who’s going to bat at No. 4,” Kumble said on ESPNCricinfo. “When Rohit didn’t play in Australia, there was some reshuffling.

KL Rahul grabbed the opportunity. But post that, the middle-order seems uncertain. And No. 4 is the most critical batting slot in England.”

Kumble believes the answer may lie in a name long forgotten in Indian Test cricket — Karun Nair. The 33-year-old, who last played a Test in 2017, famously scored a triple century against England in Chennai but curiously fell out of favour soon after.

“Karun deserves to come back into the Indian team with the kind of domestic run he’s had,” Kumble said.