10 Batsmen who narrowly missed out on a triple hundred

#3 Graeme Smith

Graeme Smith was one of the best opening batsmen and captains of all time. He scored more than 9200 runs at an average of close to 50, with 27 hundreds out of which 5 were double hundreds.

The 2003 South African tour of England was a very memorable one for Smith. In the first Test, he scored 277 from 373 balls and took South Africa to 594/5. He couldn't reach the milestone of 300 as he was dismissed by Ashley Giles.

In the second Test South Africa bowled England out for 173 and in reply, Smith played one of his best innings ever. He scored yet another double century, this time piling on 259 from 370 balls, but missed yet another opportunity of scoring a triple.

However, his hundred helped South Africa win the match by an innings and 92 runs.

#2 Gary Kirsten

Gary Kirsten will always be remembered as a brilliant coach by the Indians but he was a great batsman as well. He played 101 Tests for South Africa and scored more than 7,200 runs, with 21 centuries. Out of the 21 centuries, three were double hundreds.

In the third Test of England's 1999 tour of South Africa in Durban, England scored 366/9 in the first innings on the back of a brilliant hundred by captain Nasser Hussain. In reply, South Africa were dismissed for 156 and England enforced the follow-on.

Gary Kirsten opened the batting and held the fort till the end. He scored 275 from a mammoth 642 balls. He missed a well deserved triple hundred but his marathon innings helped South Africa draw the match.