Karun Nair did the unthinkable when he raised his bat after getting to the 300 mark during the 5th Test against England at Chennai. It was only his third Test match ever, and his previous highest score was a meager 13.
The reason he was in the playing XI was due to the numerous injuries to various stars, but purely going by his stats in first-class cricket, he definitely deserved his place there.
On a special day at the MA Chidambaram stadium, he would break all kinds of records as he became just the second Indian to ever breach the 300-run barrier.
There were a number of legends he passed on his way to that mark -
#5 Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar is an undoubted superstar in the world of cricket. The respect for him is unmatched as he wielded his bat at a time when there was very less protection for the batsmen, and some incredible fast bowlers.
He was also the first man to score 10,000 runs. Gavaskar boasts of 4 entries in the 200-run club but never managed a 300 in his 34 centuries for the Indian cricket team.
His highest score, an unbeaten 236* was against the Windies on the same ground in 1983. It was an innings of grit and determination as he battled his way to 236 off 425 balls as India scored 451 in response to Windies’ 313.
#4 Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly is still regarded by many as India’s greatest captain of all time. There was a time when he was also regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world, and his expertise on the off-side was unmatched.
While he shined greater in ODIs, he still amassed over 7000 runs at an average of 42 in Tests. Karun eclipsed Ganguly’s knock of 239 against the Pakistanis in Bangalore back in 2007.
Under Kumble’s captaincy, Ganguly’s knock helped to put pressure on the Pakistanis but the game eventually ended in a draw as the visitors just about held on.
#3 Sachin Tendulkar
The only blemish in the arguably the world’s greatest batsman’s record is the fact that he never scored a triple-hundred. It was a record he lived with throughout his career, and he more than made up for it with his overall contribution over the years.
Tendulkar breached the 200-run barrier a mighty 6 times, coming closest with a knock of 248* against the Bangladeshis in Dhaka.
It was arguably Sachin’s greatest chance to get to 300 but he eventually ran out of partners, with #11 Zaheer Khan scoring a superb 75. India would go on to win the game by an innings and 140 runs.
#2 Rahul Dravid
To many people, Rahul Dravid is regarded as India’s most reliable player of all time. He was a player who always put the team ahead of himself and is currently helping out the Indian team with his role as India’ s U-19 coach.
Dravid crossed the 200-run barrier 5 times during the course of his career. Like Sourav Ganguly, he was another who brought up his highest score against the Pakistanis.
His scintillating knock of 270 helped India to secure a famous win on their rivals’ soil as India ran away victors by an innings and 131 runs.
#1 VVS Laxman
VVS Laxman arguably scored one of the best Test innings ever against the Australians in 2001. There was so much that went behind the knock - the opponents, the context of the Test, the context of the series, and much more.
It was a knock that launched him into the spotlight and helped him gain immortality. His masterclass of 281 against the Aussies, following on after India got bundled out for a measly 171 runs in the first innings was a thing of beauty.
It helped India to pull off one of the most unlikely, and memorable wins of all time.
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