Sport

Karun Nair made an epic unbeaten triple century to power India to their highest ever innings total against a demoralised England in the fifth and final test on Monday.

Nair became the second Indian batsman to score a test triple hundred and his 303 not out helped the hosts post a massive 759 for seven before skipper Virat Kohli declared.

After conceding a 282-run first-innings lead, England finished on 12 for no loss, needing to bat out the final day to save the match and prevent a 4-0 series loss.

Skipper Alastair Cook was unbeaten on three at the close with Keaton Jennings on nine after a difficult day in the field for the touring side.

Nair struck his 32nd four off Adil Rashid to bring up his triple century before raising his bat in celebration as his coach Anil Kumble.

Playing only his third test, Nair brought up his maiden century in the morning session, turned it into a double after tea and accelerated to reach the 300-mark in an innings which also included four sixes.

Nair, dropped on 34 by Cook, enjoyed another slice of luck when he hung out his bat trying to leave a Stuart Broad delivery, the deflection running past slip to the boundary.

Ben Stokes bowled with hostility, generating reverse swing from an otherwise flat track, and nearly had Nair caught at mid-off with another short delivery.

Nair was on 217 when Joe Root dropped him at slip off Jake Ball and the batsman also survived a stumping opportunity.

Virender Sehwag is the only other Indian to make a test triple century, achieving the feat twice.

For the second time this year, Harjeet Singh's junior Indian men's hockey team beat Belgium on the way to lifting a trophy; this one, however, was the biggest prize of all.

In its first such final in 15 years, India overwhelmed Belgium 2-1 to lift the 2016 Hockey Junior World Cup at Lucknow's Major Dhyan Chand Hockey Stadium on Sunday and become the second team, after Gagan Ajit Singh's colts in 2001, to get their hands on the most coveted title.

On the biggest day for Indian junior men's hockey since the class of 2001 claimed the Junior World Cup, Harjeet's dominating Indian team was put ahead within minutes when Gurjant Singh stunningly knocked one past Belgium goalkeeper Loic van Doren to give the colts a much-needed boost and an early lead. Up 2-0 by half-time following a Simranjeet Singh field goal, India never let off the pressure.

This win maintained India's 100% record in the tournament and underlined their status as rightful winners.

Belgium, having stunned six-time champions and defending champions Germany 4-3 in a shoot-out in the semi-finals, were overawed in the initial passages of their first Junior World Cup final. The start to this summit clash was electric and one-sided as India managed two shots and seven circle penetrations inside ten minutes. India were the faster side, and that was, ultimately, the difference.