Explosive opener Virendra Sehwag with an unbeaten 309 guided India to post a good response to South African first innings total of 540 as India are at 468 for one in its first innings at close on the third day of the first cricket Test against South Africa in Chennai on Friday.
The spectators at the Chepuk Stadium have witnessed an awesome innings from the Delhi star as he passed his second triple ton in his career in just 292 balls, which includes 41 boundaries and 5 massive sixes leaving no clue for the Proteas to take this match to their side.
Certainly Sehwags triple ton has overshadowed another two fine innings of opener Wasim Jaffer (73) and Rahul Dravid playing at 65. Since now as there is another two days to go and India trailing at just 73 runs one can very well say a huge chance of India’s win if Indian scores at the same run rate on the fourth day and obtains a lead of at least 200 runs before leaving South Africans to run for.
During the scorching innings Sehwag too brought several records to his credit as being the club of Indian Test batsmen to hit double centuries for four times or more. The other batsmen are Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. This was also the fastest triple ton in just 278 balls surpassing Australian Mathew Hayden’s 362 and his own 364-ball innings in 2003/04 against Pakistan at Multan.
Also Sehwag's double century which came off 194 balls was the third fastest in Test history after New Zealander Nathan Astle's 153-ball effort against England at Christchurch in 2001 and his own 182-ball innings against Pakistan in 2006.
With this innings he also surpassed Gavaskar’s highest run total of 236-run at the same ground in 1983 against West Indies.
Dravid too made his 51st Test half century with an unbeaten 65 in his usual fashion of facing 181 balls and mount a partnership of 255 runs for the second wicket.
Earlier Sehwag along with Jaffer put on board a net of 213 runs for the first wicket which was till time the highest opening stand by Indian batsmen at the Chepuk Stadium, passing Sunil Gavaskar's and Kris Srikanth's 200 against Pakistan in 1987.
In such a flat track where the South African batsmen too put a good total of 540 there was little left for the bowlers to search for instead some tireless blowing on a barren pitch. Though in most the Test is heading towards a draw but if India takes a lead of 200-odd runs at the end of fourth day then the match would have lot to watch for.
Brief scores
South Africa 1st innings: 540 India 1st innings: 468 for one in 106 overs (V Sehwag 309 batting, W Jaffer 73 out, R Dravid 65 batting).
|
|
Comments:
