e finish in Paris.Which all means the next stage is just as important as what Wednesdays stage was.The To

Karun Nairs coaches, team-mates and selectors have come to recognise him as a batting talisman who will save the side each time it finds itself in trouble.In March this year, on the last day of the Irani Cup, against Mumbai, Rest of India needed 380 runs. Given the pitch was still good for batting, Mumbai resorted to bowling down leg. Faiz Fazal and Sudip Chatterjee were solid for the Rest in the morning session, but the run rate did not ever go above three. When Chatterjee was dismissed, Nair came on and changed the tempo almost immediately, unleashing the reverse- and paddle sweeps to counter Mumbais negative bowling.By the time he was out, having made 92, RoI were joint favourites: 144 runs adrift with 31 overs remaining. Fiery cameos by Stuart Binny and Sheldon Jackson ensured the efforts of Nair and Fazal, who scored a century, did not go in vain. Mumbai were denied the Irani Cup.Nair, who had also made 94 in the first innings, took the Man-of-the-Match award. Both his batting efforts in the game were match-turning. In the first innings, responding to Mumbais gigantic 603, RoI were reeling at 128 for 5. Nair restored respect, stitching together a 91-run partnership with tailender Jaydev Unadkat for the eighth wicket. RoI finished with 306 and Nair was last man out.That match was Nairs first big game of the new season. After Karnatakas Ranji campaign had fallen apart in the league phase in January, he decided to switch off from cricket for the better part of the next two months.No rust accumulated, he found. I was myself surprised the way I was batting, Nair said in April, while on the road with Delhi Daredevils during the IPL. There was no pressure on me [in the Irani game]. I wasnt thinking about the score. I just wanted to go out there and play as much I can and as long as possible. We lost wickets at regular intervals. I was telling myself I should just stay there and we should get a partnership.It was not the first time Nair had transformed a match with his presence of mind and strokeplay. After a miserable start in his debut Ranji season, in 2013-14, he picked himself up swiftly to score centuries in the quarter-final and semi-final, which played a role in Karnataka winning the title eventually. In the Vijay Hazare final that season, Karnataka were 47 for 5 against Railways in a chase of 158. Nair, batting at No. 7, returned undefeated on 53 with the match and title in the bag.The following year he wiped out a bad start to the season once again with a triple-century in the Ranji final, having come in at 31 for 4 against Tamil Nadu. It remains the highest score in a final in the tournaments history.Going into the match he had just one fifty for the season, but that did no damage to his confidence. That was completely different to the Irani Cup. Tamil Nadu were all out for 134 on the first day and we were 45 for 4 at the end of the first day. So I knew I had four days left to do whatever I wanted, Nair recalls.Once Karnataka were in the lead, he focused on building on that advantage and taking [Tamil Nadu] out of the game. During the course of that innings Nair batted a full day - a first in his career. He would do it again the next day, finishing with his first triple-century.During each day of the match, Nair received a message from Rahul Dravid. Make it a big one, one said. It motivated Nair to keep going. His 328 is the second highest score by a Karnataka batsman. On the way to the record, he went past Gundappa Viswanaths 247. The former India batsman and captain rang Nair. I was surprised, such a legend calling you up and congratulating you for having crossed his record. It was a nice feeling.That innings told Nair he was ready for international cricket. The realisation came to the national selectors too, a few months after the bravura performance in the Ranji final, courtesy a 114 that Nair compiled against South Africa A at the picturesque ground in Wayanad in August. Nair had failed in the first innings. When I went in the next time, it was the last day of the match. The pitch was turning. What I told myself was, I would not allow them to dictate terms. I played positive right from word go. Whenever I felt a particular bowler settled, I put him off guard by stepping out. I just did not block.The next day the selectors announced Nair as a replacement for Murali Vijay in the squad for the third Test in Sri Lanka. Saba Karim, part of that selection panel, says Nairs CV was becoming too compelling to ignore. We felt that he is extremely compact, very organised in his approach to the game. His work ethics are from the same school as Rahul Dravid. And these are quite impressive characteristics from the selectors perspective. It is always good to see a cricketer evolve.Evolve, Nair has done. His technique is solid; he can play all the shots and they are easy on the eye. The fluency of his strokeplay, his decision-making, and his ability to read length quickly help make him an attractive batsman.At the IPL auction this year, Delhi Daredevils bought Nair for Rs 4 crore (approximately US$600,000), after he had been listed at a base price of Rs 10 lakhs (about $15,000). Other than Delhi, Rising Pune Super Giants, Gujarat Lions, and this years winners, Sunrisers Hyderabad, contested to secure Nairs services. From being paid Rs 75 lakhs at Rajasthan Royals, Nair ended up as the third most expensive buy in the uncapped category. The money was no doubt exciting, but more so was the prospect of being in the company of Dravid, Delhis mentor and coach.Nair says he has blindly followed Dravids advice from his days with Royals. Trust your own ability is one such that Nair holds close. Dravid has said that it is his temperament and qualities like the ability to pick length early that make Nair a good prospect. Robin Uthappa, a senior Karnataka team-mate, says another of Nairs strengths is that he sizes up field placements quickly, which helps him find the gaps once he is settled. He is very shrewd and clever. He is very driven to be successful, Uthappa says. Even in warm-up soccer matches he is competitive and wants to win. He works very hard, very quietly. Very disciplined. He is clear about what he wants to achieve and he is working towards that.Nairs mettle is likely to be tested over the next month and a half. He made his international debut in Zimbabwe earlier this year in the ODI series, and he is now part of the Test squad for the first two Test matches of Englands tour. He is favoured to take the spot of the sixth batsman, which has fallen vacant after Rohit Sharma was ruled out due to a leg injury. KL Rahul and Shikar Dhawan are recovering from injuries as well, which means the selectors will probably retain Nair for the whole series. At some point he is likely to make his debut.Nair is no stranger to adversity, and it has contributed to his focus and steel as a batsman. As a ten-year-old I was facing 20-plus-year-olds, he says. I did not know how to wear a thigh pad, so I did not wear one. Every day I would get hit. That strengthened my mind and resolve. It moulded my inner mental strength. Being a youngster, you are free, and I was playing with freedom.A coach called Shiva was responsible for getting Nair to face men more than twice his age. GK Anil Kumar, who has coached junior teams in Karanataka and has been a batting coach for Karnataka A, credits Shiva with playing an important role in Nairs career. Shiva might not have been big on technique, but he instilled the mental steel in Karun even as a nine-year-old.Anil Kumar, who has coached Nair since he was 13, says his biggest strength is the hunger for runs, a characteristic he has seen from the days of age-group cricket. Nair has made a habit of standing up and delivering in difficult circumstances. On vicious turners he has bailed the teams out many times, Anil Kumar says. His specialty is, if it is a fourth-day pitch which favours bowlers, he approaches the challenge with an aggressive mindset. If it is a spinning pitch, he will sweep on length, rotate strike.It is about adapting to the situation and that is where Karun has done well.Does Nair have any insights into why he seems to find himself in his element in these difficult situations where he is the last man standing and largely manages to come home safe? I just see it as an opportunity for myself to use that situation to my advantage, he says. 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Using his superior athleticism, St-Pierre cruised to a five round, unanimous decision victory setting up a much-anticipated title defence against number one contender Johny Hendricks. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. Nike NFL Jerseys Free Shipping . -- Claudio Bieler hadnt scored since early September, and not from the run of play since mid-July. Throughout the Tour de France, Australian professional cyclist Richie Porte will be checking in. Here is his latest entry, as told to ESPN contributor Rupert Guinness:Stage 17: Berne to Finhaut-Emosson, SwitzerlandIt was a move I had to make if Im going to earn a place on the podium of the Tour de France.That move was my attack within the last two kilometres of Wednesdays 17th stage. I know Ive been saying I feel Im in good form, but the value of that finish in the first of four stages in the Alps adds weight to it.Not that I havent ridden as well in the Tour before. I have, but in different circumstances, especially when I used to ride for Chris Froome (Sky).But this year its different, coming to BMC from Sky to race for myself. That opportunity is why I left Sky after all. I wanted to see how I can go in the Tour as a protected team leader.Wednesdays 17th stage from Berne to Finhaut-Emosson was a day where in that role, I showed I could climb with the best, despite having done it many times while helping Froome.My move near the finish of the stage wasnt planned - it was instinctive really. I set off wanting to drop everyone and finish the stage alone. But seeing Froome as the rider who got across to me was not such a surprise. He is the Tours overall leader after all, and yes ... he closed that gap between us quite easily.But I have to give it to Froome. While once he joined me in my move he didnt offer a turn, he didnt come over to me at the end either.ddddddddddddhen I first looked back and saw Froome there on my wheel - and the yellow jersey - he even said, Look mate, we are taking time. He then said: Good job, as encouragement.Looking back, given our past as former teammates - and even currently, as good mates - I can understand why interest in the two of us being off the front. But he is strong. His team is also clearly strong. The race will be interesting from here on in to the finish in Paris.Which all means the next stage is just as important as what Wednesdays stage was.The Tour resumes on Thursday, stage 18 and a time-trial from Sallanches to Megève.Ill get up as usual - at 8.30am. Then it will be breakfast as usual, followed by a final recon of the course, then lunch and some rest - but no napping. I dont nap well.Then it will be time to head back down to the stage start where I will warm-up for another race of truth.We all know a great ride on Thursday will do wonders to help me make best of the final two days in the Alps before the Tour finishes on Sunday with the final and 21st stage into Paris.But likewise, we all know that in a time trial its eventually up to me to produce that ride. ' ' '