Sehwag makes history with second triple ton

BAT(S)MAN RETURNS: Sehwag destroyed the South Africans to score an unbeaten 309.

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Chennai: Virender Sehwag always says that if the ball is there to be hit, he will hit it. Looks like the South Africans didn’t bowl anything else to him on Friday, as he hammered away to score a superb career-best equalling 309 not out, carrying India to 468 for one at stumps on Day Three of the first Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. He was being kept company by Rahul Dravid, unbeaten on an unnoticed 65.

During this display, some remarkable statistics also came out. This is the first time in all the 416 Tests played by India, that two 200-run partnerships were seen.

This was also the fastest 300 since the time the number of balls taken started being recorded. Sehwag's got there off 278 balls to overcome Matthew Hayden’s effort against Zimbabwe at Perth in 2003-04, which came off 362 balls. At the end of the day, Sehwag had been at the crease for 503 minutes, played 292 balls, and hit 42 boundaries and five sixes.

It was an incredible display of stroke after stroke, attested with a disdainful square-drive off the last ball before tea. Sehwag played the stroke, and turned away, heading for the dressing room, not even bothering to look where the ball had gone.

That was a classic example of how much in command he was, as he scored 108 runs in the post-lunch session at an incredible clip. All the strokes, from the classic cover drive to the audacious reverse sweep were all deployed as the South African could only watch, and fetch the ball.

It was a double delight after lunch as Sehwag destroyed the South Africans to score an unbeaten 218 as India went into the tea break at 309 for one off 70 overs. Rahul Dravid was unbeaten on 10 then, incredible in the fact that the second wicket stand was of 96 runs at the break.

This was his fourth double-century, which put him in an elite club of Indians who had score four or more, the others being Dravid (five), Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. As with his century earlier, Sehwag is not one to wait in the 90’s. He swung Makhaya Ntini over square-leg for six to reach 199 fro 193, and next ball was hit towards mid-on for three more. Later he hit another six off Ntini, which was the signature of his disdain and domination.

It was Sehwag all the way. There was absolutely nothing that the visitors could do to stop him as he played shots at will, and the gaps in the field began looking bigger with every shot. Landmarks came and passed through like an express train as he peppered the off-side with one boundary after the other.

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