Highest Test scores by a visiting batsman in each country

Stephen Fleming played a captain’s knock to take his team to safety
Stephen Fleming played a captain’s knock to take his team to safety

#5 Chris Gayle - 333 in Sri Lanka

Of all the triple centuries after 2004, this was the one which threatened Brian Lara’s 400 the most

As Chris Gayle made an imposing 333 against Sri Lanka in Galle, he showed that he had the temperament for Tests and also made the highest score by a visiting batsman in the island country.

West Indies won the toss and went out to bat on a juicy surface which did not offer the slightest assistance to bowlers until late in the second day. Gayle made use of the big chance as he went all guns blazing to break the back of the Sri Lankan bowling attack.

Gayle smashed everyone for boundaries as the scoring rate jumped to 5 runs per over. The introduction of spin did no good as Ajantha Mendis disappeared as well. Gayle got to his half-centuries off just 61 balls.

Although he slowed down after the fall of Adrian Barath, who acted as the perfect foil, he soon found his groove back and got to his century off just 117 balls. After that, it was a display of sheer power as Gayle averaged at least a boundary an over.

All the bowlers, aside from Mendis, were taken to the cleaners as he brought up his double-century off 221 balls. After scoring his double, Gayle’s mindset changed and he began to play a typical test innings safe in the knowledge that the pitch held no demons and there was still plenty of time.

Gayle batted sedately and kept milking the singles, but the loose balls were still dispatched. He lost partners at the other end, but he still motored on to his 250. His game further slowed as he inched toward the magical 300-run mark.

Finally, playing his 393rd ball, a full 172 deliveries after his double century, Gayle reached the much coveted 300. Once he crossed it, the mad-max style of batting was back as he lashed boundaries at will.

There was speculation over whether he would break Lara’s 400, but it was not to be as he was dismissed for 333. As Gayle walked back with a huge smile on his face, he became just the fourth batsman to score two triple-centuries in Tests, after Sehwag, Lara and Don Bradman.

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