Is Karun Nair's 303* more special than Virender Sehwag's 309?

Karun Nair will soon be able to sit back and reflect on the year that was. He had been knocking really hard on selectors' doors for a while, with his prolific run in domestic cricket and they eventually relented, handing him an ODI debut during India's tour of Zimbabwe in June.

Nair had an unremarkable start to his international career really, scoring 46 in two ODIs he played, including a best of 39. A month later, he was in a snake boat that capsized in the river Pampa in Kerala.

Nair does not know how to swim. He was helped ashore by rescuers. About five months later, Nair, who had warmed the benches during India's Test series, got his maiden Test cap in Mohali, when Lokesh Rahul was injured.

Having walked in to bat in a bit of a precarious situation, the 25-year-old was run out for four. In Mumbai, Nair only managed 13. Time was running out for him. Rahane would of course be fit by the time India resume Test match duties next year, with the one-off match against Bangladesh early next year, and he would have obviously knocked Nair out.

But Nair had other plans. After India's leading lights this series, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli, met with rare failures, Nair buckled down with Lokesh Rahul (the one who was out for 199) and converted his maiden 50 into a 100, his maiden hundred into a double hundred and finally his maiden double hundred into a triple hundred.

In the course of a marathon innings, that deflated an already shattered England, Nair broke a spate of records. He became the youngest Indian and thesixth youngest overall to score a triple hundred.

He became only the second Indian after Virender Sehwag to score a triple hundred AND he became the third batsman after Garfield Sobers and Bob Simpson to convert their maiden hundred into a triple century.

And if all of the above stats are not mind-numbing, factor this: it was only Nair's third innings in Test cricket.

Some of Indian cricket's biggest stalwarts - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly and Virat Kohli - have not got anywhere close to Sehwag's feat. Nair walks in, knowing another failure could put him out of Test match contention for years, and blazes his way to glory.

Who would have thought a certain Karun Nair would have gone ahead and joined Sehwag in an elite list? There could be other batsmen from the current crop still and Kohli could do it as early as next year but Nair's achievement will always remain special.

Sehwag was already an established nightmare for bowlers the world over by the time he travelled to Multan and hammered Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmed to conjure that magical 309. But here was Nair, playing possibly to seal his place in the team, fully aware that his wicket would give England a foot in the door, duly reminded that a sizeable lead would have allowed the visitors the chance to press for victory, leaving the hosts with the prospect of batting on a final day Indian pitch?

Just a thought and this is nothing to take away from Sehwag's brilliance: maybe this 303* could be rated slightly higher than the Multan 309? Just a fleeting thought.

Nair admitted there was no pressure after he had brought up the first hundred and he backed himself to play his shots. Besides, the Indian team management had decided on a particular number of overs to bat and they delayed the declaration slightly to let him get his triple hundred.

And for that delay, Nair said he was eternally grateful. Remember, India still have a Test match to win and they can still do it. (By the end of the penultimate day, England were still 270 adrift on a pitch that had started to turn just a little more than it did previously).

Nair also credited his batting partners - Rahul, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja - with whom he shared substantial partnerships. Their experience and encouragement undoubtedly helped him swim ashore - only this time, it wasn't a matter of life and death.

Also read: Is Virat Kohli the ultimate fanboy of Indian cricket?