Karun Nair’s maiden triple ton rockets India to 282-run lead against England on Day 4

With an anticipation of a win and breezing in the air, India started the final session of Day Four with a clear intent of extending their beyond England s reach in the fifth and final Test at Chennai. England, who probably thought thought a total of 477 in the first innings was enough, were crushed under the mountain of runs which India piled up. India s score of 759 for 7 declared is now not only their highest Test score, but it is the most by any team against England in a Test innings. KL Rahul may have missed out scoring a double ton, for he fell for 199. But Karun Nair did not he hammered 303 not out.

Nair struck a memorable triple-hundred that instilled a sense of adoration and happiness to the Chennai crowd, who had seen a lot in the past few weeks. India declared with a 282-run lead, and Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings took England to 12 for no loss in 5 overs. Earlier in the session, Nair wasted no time in recording his maiden Test double as a full-length delivery by Jennings was dispatched for a resounding boundary through the covers. Nair, after his double ton, scored boundaries at will which was the need of the hour. In no time, India crossed the 600-run mark as a fairly packed Chennai stadium stood up applauding the team.

FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: India vs England, 5th Test at Chennai

Cook took the third new ball in the 168th over after the older ball was hammered for boundaries in just the few overs after tea. Nair brought the Steven Smith-esque shot, tennis slamming the ball towards long on for a boundary.

Nair also became only the 3rd Indian after Dilip Sardesai and Vinod Kambli to convert their maiden Test century to a double century.

England finally had a moment of joy, as Jos Buttler plucked a catch out of thin air to get the wicket of Ashwin. He tried to cut the ball, which holed up to Buttler at gully off Stuart Broad for 67.

This also ended the mammoth 181-run stand between Nair and Ashwin.

Broad continued his spell, as he welcomed Ravindra Jadeja by gifting him a bouncer first-up. Both Jake Ball and Broad continued to dish out short-bounders at Jadeja.

Nair continued to ride his luck as Root dropped a regulation catch in slips on the score of 218. Nair, went past Kambli s record of 224 runs for the highest maiden hundred score with a scintillating upper-cut for six off Broad.

Meanwhile, Jadeja took charge and lambasted Ball for a six and a four coming by ferocious looking pull shots, which also brought up 650 for India.

Nair s, record breaking knock continued as he marched past the score of 250, with a help of single nudged on the leg side. Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly were pushed below in the list. But it was not the case that Nair remained clean throughout his innings, Bairstow might have stumped the Indian batsman when he was on 246.

India went past the 700 run mark for the fourth time in the their history of Test cricket. They also went past their highest ever Test score of 726 for 9 declared, which came against England in Mumbai.

With declaration in sight, Nair went inton T20 mode, dealing only in fours and sixes. Nair, in no time, went past VVS Laxman s monumental score of 281 against Australia in 2000-01.

Jadeja himself struck some lusty blows towards a quick-fire 50 off 52 balls that had one four and 2 sixes. Jadeja departed on 52 off Dawson. The pair of Nair and Jadeja added 138 runs.

Nair, after anxiously waiting for his triple hundred, got there via a boundary, which came off a misfield by Cook. Nair remained unbeaten on 303 from 381 balls as Kohli signaled his boys to come back into the dressing room. Nair to his credit accounted for 108 runs in the final session of play that included 9 fours and 3 sixes alone.

India declared on 759 for 7 with Nair and Umesh Yadav in the middle.

During his knock of 303, Nair also became India s highest run-scorer at No. 5 surpassing master of wrists VVS Laxman, who made 200* versus Australia in 2008.

In reply, Cook and Keaton Jennings came out to field with 5 overs in the day remaining as England trailed India by 282 runs. Ishant Sharma and Ashwin opened the bowling for the home side.

Cook (3) and Keaton (8) played out a probing and a lethal spell by Indian spinners in Ashwin and Jadeja as England reached stumps at 12 for no loss, trailing India by 270 runs.

Brief scores:

England 477 & 12 for no loss (Alastair Cook 3*, Keaton Jennings 9*) trail India 759 for 7 decl. (KL Rahul 199, Parthiv Patel 71, Karun Nair 303*; Stuart Broad 2 for 80, Liam Dawson 2 for 129) by 270 runs.