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When Virender Sehwag Blasted 293 But Missed His 3rd Triple Ton To A Soft Dismissal

image-lpqo977sVirender Sehwag pounded 293 off just 254 balls vs SL in December 2009 (x.com)

Virender Sehwag, a run-raider par excellence, symbolized a legendary chapter in cricket’s folklore with his insatiable appetite for crafting colossal epics. Renowned for his penchant of pumping out monumental hundreds, Sehwag’s relentless pursuit of dominance on the pitch became synonymous with breathtaking displays of batting brutality, regardless of the format and his team’s clothing.

Not much to everyone’s surprise, the firebrand opener became the first Indian in history to chart a Test triple century, and that too, relatively earlier in his career. Moreover, the unintentional milestone man also blasted India’s second-ever Test triple ton a few years later to become one of only three cricketers in history with twin triples to their names.

On December 4 back in 2009 in Brabourne, Sehwag was well on his way to listing his third triple century, only to find his monumental epic getting curtailed by longtime Sri Lankan rival and legendary spinner Muthiah Muralidaran.


When Virender Sehwag punched out 293 against SL

Hosting Sri Lanka for a three-match Test series in late 2009, an MS Dhoni-led Indian team took field at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium on December 2 in pursuit of a series win and a yet-to-be-scaled number one ranking.

After staying on the field for nearly 95 overs courtesy of Sri Lanka’s batting diligence, Indian openers Murali Vijay and Virender Sehwag made their way into the middle on second morning with an aim of wiping off the visitors’ 393-run total. The two batters shared a 221-run opening stand where Sehwag’s unreal ferocity dented Sri Lankan hopes early as India showed threatening signs of accruing a huge first innings lead.

image-lpqoaumbMuthiah Muralidaran congratulating Virender Sehwag (x.com)

While Vijay’s dismissal brought about a change of partner for the batting marauder, his run-lusted intent pretty much remained the same throughout his new 200-plus alliance with senior-man Rahul Dravid. In all, Sehwag clattered the likes of Rangana Herath, Muthiah Muralidaran, Angelo Mathews and Nuwan Kulasekara among others with 40 free-flowing boundaries and seven towering sixes as he walked back to the sheds at 284* by stumps on Day 2.

Unfortunately for the cricketer, he failed to replicate his belligerent approach on a fresh Day 3 morning as he managed to add just nine more runs to his overnight score before he was caught-and-bowled by the evergreen Muralidaran. While Sehwag fell at the brink of achieving an elite Test landmark, his 293-run epic set up India’s then-record 726-run total, a win by an innings on fifth morning, a series triumph by a 2-0 margin and a historic number one Test ranking for his country.

Fittingly, the troublemaking opener walked away with a ‘Player of the Match’ award. Even though his Brabourne hurricane against Sri Lanka turned 14 this year, it continues to stand as one of Test cricket’s most totalitarian knocks to date.