Nagpur, Feb 8: Karun Nair continued to knock on the selector’s doors after blazing his second century for Vidarbha in the second quarter-final of the ongoing Ranji Trophy on Saturday.
On the opening day of the final eight clash between Vidarbha and Tamil Nadu, the hosts were tottering at 44/4. Vidarbha needed a meaningful partnership and someone to play the anchor’s role for the next 73. 5 overs left in the day.
With his scorching form, Nair arrived at the crease with a clear intent of helping his side see off the difficult phase. He had to bid his time, respect the menacing ones and punish those deliveries that landed in his hitting arc.
A combination of experience and young talent helped Vidarbha sail to a comfortable position. With Danish Malewar at the other end, runs kept coming at a steady pace and the duo went from strength to strength.
Danish and Nair added 98 runs for the fourth wicket before the 21-year-old miscued Vijay Shankar at 75(119). After Danish’s swift knock ended it was Nair all day long.Nair dealt with spinners by sweeping them away with confidence and aggression. He came down the track to smoke the ball past the boundary line for a six off Sai Kishore.Nair stayed unbeaten with a knock of 100(180), lifting Vidarbha to 264/6 at the end of the day. (ANI)
