Virender Sehwag missed out on a rare feat of scoring three triple-centuries in Test cricket when he was dismissed on 293 by Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan during the third Test here on Friday.
Resuming at 284, Sehwag was approaching the milestone in fine style but miscued a drive off Muralitharan, who fumbled once before taking the heart-breaking catch.
No player in the history of game has scored three triple centuries. Australian great Donald Bradman and legendary West Indies batsman Brian Lara are the only other players with two triple tons to their names. (more…)
In the fourth over of the day, Muttiah Muralitharan got one to dip on Virender Sehwag. For a change Sehwag ended up playing in front of his body and scooped it back to Murali, who took it at the third attempt. Having added nine to his overnight 284, Sehwag – the fourth man to be dismissed in the 290s – was given a standing ovation and the cricket came out of a trance.
It is becoming all too repetitive now. India’s opening combination changed but the assault that Virender Sehwag and M Vijay launched on the Sri Lankan bowlers bordered on the sadistic and the speed with which the runs came put India near a position where they could think of not having to bat again. Gautam Gambhir wasn’t missed at all, the runs flowed like the nearby sea at high tide and the field seemed to have more holes than Swiss cheese. Twenty-six fours and six sixes were hit off only 39.1 overs in the 221-run opening stand, which took a carrom ball from Rangana Herath to break.
A sharp throw from Sachin Tendulkar resulted in Angelo Mathews getting run-out for 99. A disappointed Mathews became the 14th player in Test cricket to be found short of the crease one run behind the 3 figure mark. This is also the 37th instance when a batsman has been run out in his 90s.(
Captain Daniel Vettori and the returning Daryl Tuffey did the damage for New Zealand as they took the honours on a shortened opening day of the second Test against Pakistan.
Jayawardene (29) hooked Shanthakumaran Sreesanth to fine-leg where Virender Sehwag took a smart catch, before Harbhajan had Thilan Samaraweera caught in the leg-trap for one.
Muttiah Muralitharan is the highest Test wicket taker of all time and it is highly unlikely that anyone in contemporary cricket or in the near future can even approach the world mark the champion Sri Lanka bowler would set before retiring.
A chance to go atop the world rankings at stake, India take on a struggling Sri Lanka in the third and final Test here Wednesday hoping to wrap up the series 2-0.