Karun Nair continued his fine run in domestic cricket, scoring a hundred in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final clash against Tamil Nadu on Saturday (February 8).
Karun Nair extends glorious run
Nair has scored 540 runs in 11 innings at an average of 54 in the ongoing Ranji Trophy, with his form leading to calls for a Test comeback. His last Test appearance was in 2017, having played just three more games after scoring a triple-century against England.
This season, however, has seen him in a sensational run across formats. Playing for Vidarbha, he made 255 runs at an average of 42.50 and a strike rate of 177.08 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and followed it up with a 779-run season in the 50-over Vijay Hazare tournament. Nair was the leading run-scorer in the competition, also making five hundreds in eight innings at a stunning average of 389.50.
On Saturday (February 8), playing against Tamil Nadu at Nagpur, Nair walked out at No.5 after his team had been reduced to 44-3. He combined with Danish Malewar, stitching together a 98-run stand before the latter was dismissed.
Two more wickets fell at the end of day one, but Nair held his end up, eventually bringing up his third ton of the Ranji season, and his 22nd first-class hundred. It was also his sixth ton in his last nine matches, with his streak reading 163*, 111*, 112, 122*, 88*, 27, 39 & 4, 3 & 105 and 100*. His first four hundreds were in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Nair was unbeaten on 100 off 180 balls at stumps, with Vidarbha on 264-6.
How did the other India internationals fare?
Vijay Shankar, who had earlier scored an unbeaten 150 against Chandigarh, picked up two wickets against Vidarbha. Meanwhile, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, none of the India internationals put in a noteworthy showing during the Mumbai-Haryana clash.
Skipper Ajinkya Rahane made 31, while Shivam Dube and Suryakumar Yadav, both of whom are returning for the clash, made 28 and 9, respectively. Shardul Thakur made 15 as Mumbai were 278-8 at the end of day one.
Cheteshwar Pujara, who is representing Saurashtra, was dismissed on 26, while Gujarat spinner Ravi Bishnoi claimed one wicket in the same game.
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