Ranji Trophy Final: Before buzzer, triple doubled

Before this final, Nair had scored all of one fifty in the entirety of the Ranji season. (Express photo by Kevin D’souza)

THERE’S a sense of sanctity associated with a triple-century. For most, it still remains a puritanical feat. One that demands you to not just overcome the obvious threats posed by bowlers, nature and fatigue — both physical and mental — but also abstain from that most-derided of evils a batsman can succumb to — contentment.

No wonder then that the 300-club is considered exclusive, almost like a Dinner Club with a strict dress-code with incessant emphasis on etiquette and discipline. And it has retained its exclusivity even after being gate-crashed by the likes of Virender Sehwag and Chris Gayle on more than one occasion, that too in the Test arena.

On the face of it, Karun Nair wouldn’t really fit the bill as a potential candidate for membership into Club 300. He’s after all the quintessential product of the T20 generation, an IPL star who prides himself on his 21st century fetishes for fast bikes, smart phones and selfies. Scoring a triple-ton requires the kind of gumption and drive you would need to run a marathon, or maybe even more.

Nair had spent his second season in domestic cricket, seemingly satisfied with attractive 20s and 30s, only managing to go past 50 once before the final. They were knocks that might have won him recognition or maybe even awards in the T20 world. But not in the Ranji Trophy.

Yes, he did have a century to his name by the time play began on Day Three. But if anyone was expected to score a triple-century it was KL Rahul, his partner-in-crime with whom he had thwarted Tamil Nadu’s hopes of an elusive Ranji title. Not Nair. No way.

That is before the 23-year-old decided to shed himself of superfluous reputations, and showed that he could come to the party even in suit-and-tie — the whites of Karnataka in this case — by becoming the first batsman to score a triple-ton in a Ranji Trophy final since the time the British left these shores. To his credit, he took the rough road to get there, the one riddled with constant inquisitions of his technique, temperament and tact. Not to forget his hunger. He seemed in no mood for short-cuts.

He had walked in to bat with his team in dire straits on the evening of the first day. Two days later, of which he spent 815 minutes at the crease, he walked off, unbeaten on 310, slightly weary, but with enough strength to hold his arms aloft. Going into the match, he needed a big score. He got just that, and then tripled it for good measure. Karnataka’s score, meanwhile, had burgeoned to 618/7 that gave them a lead of 484, and every reason to believe that the title was theirs to hold on to.

Unfortunately, led by Nair, the defending champions also ended up exposing the frailties of a Tamil Nadu attack that was dependent on Lakshmipathy Balaji a decade ago, a status quo that has remained worryingly intact 10 years later. The challengers in fact have taken three wickets in two days, one of which was a dubious lbw decision and the other a batsman caught down the leg-side.

In full control

Not that Nair was complaining. It was a bowling attack that the right-hander might well have gotten stuck into if he was in the royal blue of his IPL franchise. But here, he chose to treat them with respect, almost as if he was being courteous. Rarely did he play a shot that would have sent the text-book aficionados into a fit. He drove with control, pulled with power, and the only time he got frisky was while attempting the paddle-sweep. That is before he went from 297 to 301 with a reverse-sweep off Malolan Rangarajan.

Ironically, as he neared his 300, the game drifted into a melancholic pace, with Vinay Kumar evidently keen on rubbing the Tamil Nadu noses in the dirt. The Karnataka skipper faced 175 balls for his 41, and also ensured that Nair only faced 11 deliveries in the 21 minutes he spent in the 290s. If anything, it was an additional test for Nair and his composure. He came through though, just like he had with every other challenge that was laid before him at the Wankhede.

And as he walked past the Wankhede square after the press briefing, Nair stopped to click a selfie in the centre of an arena he had turned into a theatre of dreams. It was an indulgence that was deserved. For, he had just earned himself a life membership into a club that is generally reserved for the genuinely exceptional. Not to forget with two days still left, and a slew of more records, including a 400, in his sights.

Brief Scores: Tamil Nadu 134 vs Karnataka 618/7 in 189 overs (K Nair 310 batting, KL Rahul 188, V Kumar 41 batting).

Source:: Indian Express