Top 10 most brutal innings in Test cricket

3. Virender Sehwag (319 vs South Africa, South Africa in India 2008)

Although the game ended in a draw, it left many mesmerised because of what it had for stroke play lovers. Scoring a triple hundred against an attack that has bowlers like Steyn, Ntini and Morkel at more than a run a ball is no easy feat. Yet Sehwag achieved it, batting in the usual fashion that he does, scoring the fastest triple century in tests. India posted a 600-plus total in response to South Africa’s 540. SA batted for some time in their second innings before it was time to end the game without a result.

Sehwag hit 43 boundaries and 5 sixes and was part of 200-plus partnerships for the 1^st and 2^nd wickets with Jaffer and Dravid respectively. He became the only player from India to score a triple hundred in Multan four years ago and now had two in his tally, with no other Indian having reached the 300-run mark. This one was special also because it came after fielding for two days during the South African batting. The crowd of Chennai would have been happier had they seen India win, but they definitely got their money’s worth seeing Sehwag bat effortlessly and reaching his triple ton to join Sir Don Bradman and Brian Lara as the only players to have scored 300-plus runs more than once.