India, May 24 -- It was against England that, in Mohali in November 2016, he made his Test debut as a starry-eyed 24-year-old. A gorgeous stroke for four, his first scoring stroke, was followed by a terrible mix-up and a heartbreaking run-out when his captain, Virat Kohli, left him for dead. Three weeks later, in the final game of that same five-match series, Karun Nair produced a stunning riposte, unexpectedly gatecrashing into the elite list of Test triple-centurions with an extraordinary unbeaten 303 in Chennai - he still remains only the second Indian to score 300 in a Test innings, after Virender Sehwag (twice).

That ought to have been the start of a glorious run in the five-day game. Instead, the right-hander who was born in Jodhpu...