Karun Nair's unbeaten 132 puts Vidarbha on course for Ranji Trophy glory

Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], March 1 : Had things unfolded differently two seasons ago, Karun Nair might have been playing for Kerala. After Karnataka unceremoniously dropped him, Nair reached out to Kerala, but they couldn't commit at the time. Having already spent an entire season without competitive cricket, he couldn't afford to wait. That's when Vidarbha came knocking, and he seized the opportunity, as per ESPNcricinfo.
Two seasons later, Nair is leading Vidarbha's charge toward their third Ranji Trophy title. He batted the entire day, crafting an unbeaten 132, his 23rd first-class century and fourth of the season pushing Vidarbha's lead to 286 at stumps with six wickets in hand. If he lifts the trophy, it will be his third, having won his first two with Karnataka in 2013-14 and 2014-15.
Nair's innings might have been cut short early, but fortune favoured him. On 31, during the morning session, an awkwardly rising delivery from young pacer Eden Apple Tom caught his glove and lobbed towards first slip, only for Akshay Chandran to drop a straightforward catch. Had that chance been taken, Vidarbha would have been reeling at 55/3. Instead, Nair and Danish Malewar, a 21-year-old in his debut season, made Kerala pay, adding to their unfinished business from the first innings, where a mix-up had led to Nair's run-out on 86.
The duo stitched together an 182-run stand for the third wicket. Malewar, who had already impressed with 153 in the first innings, contributed 73, steadying the innings after the early dismissals of Parth Rekhade and Dhruv Shorey in the first three overs. Rekhade was beaten through the gate by Jalaj Saxena's in-drifter, while Shorey fell to a brilliant diving catch by Mohammed Azharuddeen at first slip, giving MD Nidheesh an early breakthrough.
Kerala had more opportunities to break the partnership but failed to capitalize. Malewar survived an lbw appeal against Saxena, with DRS ruling it as umpire's call. That was just the beginning of a frustrating period for Kerala. They dropped a crucial catch of a big-match player, saw their pacers Nidheesh and N Basil receive two warnings each for running onto the danger area, and allowed two healthy edges off Saxena to slip through an unmanned cordon. Instead of attacking, Kerala found themselves on the back foot, and Vidarbha capitalized.
Malewar had another stroke of luck when he overturned an lbw decision against Nidheesh, with replays showing the ball swinging late and missing leg stump. Despite the early action, Kerala failed to stay aggressive, ultimately paying the price.
Nair took full advantage of the field placements, piercing gaps through covers as Kerala left the off-side open to invite him to drive against the turn. His well-executed reverse sweeps along the ground made him even tougher to contain. Malewar, meanwhile, absorbed the pressure from Saxena, playing within himself until reaching his half-century, after which he showcased his confidence with a glorious lofted drive over mid-off.
As the partnership flourished, Kerala briefly resorted to a leg-stump line in an attempt to unsettle the batters. However, with Vidarbha already sitting on a comfortable lead, Kerala realized too late that they needed to be more aggressive by then, the pair had already added over 100 runs.
Nair survived on 65 when a leading edge off Saxena fell just short of the bowler. He responded by playing a reverse sweep, neutralizing any pressure. He soon crossed the 800-run mark for the season and raced into the 80s with back-to-back sixes off Aditya Sarwate, sending one over long-on and the other over long-off. Upon reaching his century, Nair dropped his bat, removed his gloves, and held up both palms towards the dressing room--a symbolic nod to his nine centuries across the season before settling back into his innings.
The long-standing partnership finally ended when Chandran's part-time left-arm spin found Malewar's glove, with Sachin Baby taking a sharp catch at slip. Yash Rathod then joined Nair and batted fluently, even surpassing Madhya Pradesh's Shubham Sharma to become the season's leading run-scorer at one stage.
Kerala briefly found some respite when Sarwate got one to turn sharply, trapping Rathod lbw--a decision that went their way upon DRS review. However, such moments were rare for Kerala on a day dominated by frustration. With their hopes of a maiden Ranji Trophy title hanging by a thread, they now need nothing short of a miracle to stage a comeback on the final day.