Chinmay Sutar recently became the second batter ever to score a quadruple century in the Ranji Trophy. Playing for Mizoram against Nagaland in a Plate Group match in Sovima, the 29-year-old scored 400* off 517 balls. Sutar emulated Bhausaheb Babasaheb Nimbalkar, who scored 443* for Maharashtra against Kathiawar in Pune in 1948.

Nimbalkar could have achieved the highest first-class score at the time, which was 452* by Australia batting legend Don Bradman, for New South Wales against Queensland in 1930. The Kathiawar captain, Thakur Sahib of Rajkot, was utterly bored as Maharashtra (826/4) continued to pile on the runs and warned that Maharashtra better declare or they would go home. Maharashtra agreed but asked for a couple of more overs to be bowled so that Nimbalkar could break Bradman’s record. However, Kathiawar refused and forfeited the contest.

"They kept saying that you have already scored so many runs, why do you want to get more. Their skipper felt that the name of the Kathiawar team would figure in the record books for the wrong reasons. I was left stranded in the middle of the ground,” Nimbalkar said years later.

"Had I known (such a thing would happen), I would have gone for the runs. My captain sent me a message that I should stay at the wicket, so I did just as I was asked. I did not put my personal objectives ahead of the side. I played for the team."

After Nimbalkar was denied by the Kathiawar captain, Pakistan’s Hanif Mohammad (499*) 11 years later went past Bradman’s feat. Hanif’s record stood for almost 35 years before West Indies’ Brian Lara scored 501* in a County match in 1994. That remains the highest first-class score.

Sutar, unsurprisingly, had no idea while batting what he was on to. When asked by HT if he knew what he had achieved in the company of No.11 Lalrempuia Chhakchhuak, he said: “I think after we declared (I found out), I had no idea about this when I was batting.”

Nimbalkar died in 2012 at the age of 92. His feat remains the record for the highest individual innings in Indian domestic cricket. Mizoram declared their innings on 581/9 just as Sutar, who moved to the north-eastern side from Mumbai ahead of the season, reached the milestone. “I am really, really happy. I am still in second place, but I am really proud of what I achieved today,” the right-handed batter, who hit 46 fours and seven sixes, said.