Why Karun Nair was very very special for India in Chennai Test: Stat highlights

Karun Nair had a record-breaking day in Chennai during the fourth day of the fifth Test between India versus England. Having failed in the first two Tests in Mohali and Mumbai, Nair made it up by smashing his maiden century. He converted that to a double century and then a majestic triple. (SCORECARD)

Thanks to Karun Nair’s exploits, India registered their highest Test score as Virat Kohli’s team piled on the agony for England. Here are some of the highlights of Nair’s magnificent knock

303* - Karun Nair’s score is the highest for an Indian number five in Tests. He eclipsed the previous mark set by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who smashed 224 against Australia in Chennai in 2013.

3 - Third batsman in Test history to convert his maiden hundred into a triple century. Sir Garfield Sobers smashed 365 against Pakistan in Kingston in 1958 while Bob Simpson smashed 311 against England in Manchester in 1964.

4 - Fourth batsman in Test history to hit a triple century from the No.5 position in Tests. Michael Clarke with 329 against India in Sydney in 2012 heads the list, followed by Sir Don Bradman’s 304 against England in Leeds in 1934. The last batsman to achieve this feat before Karun Nair was Brendon McCullum, who hit New Zealand’s first triple century during the Wellington Test against India in 2014.

759/7d - India’s highest Test total in Chepauk and their highest-ever in Tests. They comfortably went past the previous mark of 652/7 declared by England against India in 1985. They also went past their previous highest score of 726/9 dec, which was against Sri Lanka at the Brabourne stadium.

3 - Karun Nair’s individual score puts him at number three in the list of highest individual score by batsmen in the No.5 batting position. Michael Clarke’s 329 in Sydney against India in 2012 is on top of the list

2 - Karun Nair’s knock has put him in second position in the list of all-time highest individual scores in Chennai. He went past Sunil Gavaskar’s 236, which he smashed against West Indies in 1983. Virender Sehwag is on top of the tree with 319 against South Africa in 2008.

3 - The least number of innings taken by Karun Nair to notch up his maiden triple hundred. Len Hutton took just nine innings when he smashed 364 versus Australia at The Oval in 1938.

4 - Fourth time that India have registered a score of 700-plus in Tests. It is the second time they have achieved it at home. Their highest Test score at home was 726/9 declared against Sri Lanka at the Brabourne stadium in 2009.

3 - Karun Nair registered the third-highest individual score in Tests by an Indian batsman. Virender Sehwag leads the list with knock of 319 against South Africa and 309 versus Pakistan. Karun Nair is the second Indian to score a triple century in Tests.