Karun Nair scored a brilliant double century on Day 2 of the unofficial Test match between India A and England Lions at Canterbury on Saturday. He reached the 200-run mark with a boundary in the 101st over of India A’s innings.
This was the fourth time Nair crossed the 200-run mark in a First-Class innings. His highest First-Class score remains 328, which he scored for Karnataka against Tamil Nadu in the 2015/16 season.
Nair is also remembered for being the second Indian, after Virender Sehwag, to score a triple century in Test cricket. Before this knock, his highest score for India A was an unbeaten 114 against South Africa A in 2015.
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A Strong Start to the England Tour
Nair has been included in India’s squad for the upcoming five-Test series against England, starting June 20. With this double century, he has made a strong start to the tour. Having last played for India eight years ago, this performance will surely catch the attention of the selectors and head coach Gautam Gambhir. With the absence of experienced players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, including Karun Nair in the Test XI could be a smart and timely decision.
At the end of Day 1, Nair was unbeaten on 186 off 246 balls, with Dhruv Jurel accompanying him at 82 off 104. Both were nearing major milestones, but Jurel fell short by six runs and was dismissed for 94 early on Day 2.
However, Karun held his ground and went on to complete a magnificent double century on his India return. Although it was an unofficial Test, this innings makes a strong case for his inclusion in the national side moving forward.
The 33-year-old right-hander was eventually dismissed for 204 off 281 balls by , bringing an end to a memorable innings. At the time of writing, India A were at 494/7 after 110 overs.
