Virender Sehwag in Chennai Test against South Africa, 2008 (Source: AFP)
Former explosive India batter, Virender Sehwag, played the brand of cricket in the Tests, which was usually unorthodox in the traditional format of the game. In his 12-year-long Test career from debut in South Africa to his last game in India, Sehwag broke and achieved multiple records in the Tests.
The blistering opener scored 8,586 runs in 180 innings of the 104 games he played in his Test career, registering an average of 49.34, with 23 fours and 32 half-centuries. Besides that, he also played a few knocks in the Tests, which became historic and iconic to be remembered and cherished by the cricket fans.
Therefore, here’s a look at the five best innings Virender Sehwag played in the Tests.
Virender Sehwag's five best innings in Tests
319 against South Africa - Chennai Test, 2008
India and South Africa were facing off in the first Test of the three-match series in 2008. The then-Proteas skipper Graeme Smith won the toss and decided to bat first. Hashim Amla’s century (159) propelled the visitors to the score of 540 runs in the first innings.
In response to South Africa’s 540-run total, India’s opening pair of Wasim Jaffer (73) and Virender Sehwag stitched a remarkable opening partnership of 213 runs. Furthermore, Sehwag continued bashing the Proteas bowlers, adding another partnership of 268 runs for the second wicket with Rahul Dravid (119).
Sehwag went on to smash his Test career’s second triple century, scoring 319 runs off just 304 balls, with 42 fours and five sixes. Eventually, the high-scoring contest ended in a draw, with Sehwag winning the ‘Player of the Match’ award.
309 against Pakistan - Multan Test, 2004
From Virender Sehwag’s triple century to Rahul Dravid’s controversial moment when Sachin Tendulkar was on 194, the Multan Test between India and Pakistan is remembered for a lot of reasons. Meanwhile, it was Sehwag’s first-ever triple ton in Tests that stole the show in Multan and earned him the title of ‘the sultan of Multan’.
It was the first Test of the three-match series between India and Pakistan in 2004. India won the toss and decided to bat first. India’s first innings revolved around Virender Sehwag’s triple century, followed by Sachin Tendulkar’s 194 runs.
Sehwag scored 309 runs off 375 balls, with 39 fours and six sixes. On the back of Sehwag’s triple ton, India scored 675 runs for the loss of five wickets before declaring their first innings.
Furthermore, India bundled out Pakistan at 407 runs in the first innings before forcing them to follow on. Later in the second innings, Pakistan were wrapped up at 216 runs, and India won the game by an innings and 52 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
293 against Sri Lanka - Mumbai Test, 2009
After winning the second Test by an innings and 144 runs, India took on Sri Lanka in the third Test of the three-match series in 2009. The visiting skipper, Kumar Sangakkara, won the toss and decided to bat first. The Islanders were bundled out at 393 runs in the first innings.
India came up with an outstanding response courtesy of Virender Sehwag's iconic 293-run knock, missing his well-deserved third triple century in Tests by a narrow margin of just seven runs. Before falling prey to Muthiah Muralitharan in a caught and bowled, Sehwag had scored 293 runs off just 254 balls, with 40 fours and seven sixes.
On the back of Sehwag’s double ton, followed by skipper Dhoni’s 154-ball 100, India posted 726 runs for the loss of nine wickets before declaring their first innings. Later in the second innings, the hosts bundled out Sri Lanka for 309 to win the game by an innings and 24 runs and the series 2-0.
195 against Australia - Melbourne Test, 2003
After India won the second Test by four wickets, they took on Australia in the third Test of the four-match series in 2003-04. India won the toss and decided to bat first in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
The opening pair of Aakash Chopra (48) and Virender Sehwag added 141 runs for the first wicket. Furthermore, Sehwag also stitched another 147-run partnership for the second wicket with Rahul Dravid (49).
Virender Sehwag went on to play a brilliant knock of 195 runs off 233 balls, with 25 fours and five sixes. He scored more than half of the team's first-innings total of 366 runs. However, Australia scored 558 runs to take a 192-run lead at the end of the first innings. India could score just 286 runs in their second innings, setting a target of just 95 runs for Australia.
Eventually, the hosts comfortably chased down the target, scoring 97 runs for the loss of just one wicket to win the game by nine wickets and level the series 1-1. Virender Sehwag’s knock went in vain, but it is still remembered for his grit and determination when other batters failed against the Aussie bowling attack.
201* and 50 against Sri Lanka - Galle Test, 2008
In 2008, it was India’s tour of Sri Lanka, in which the Indian batters were caught off-guard by Sri Lanka’s mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis.
Meanwhile, it was Virender Sehwag who picked Mendis and cleared the books with the latter in the second Test of the three-match series between India and Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.
The then-India skipper Anil Kumble won the toss and decided to bat first. Gautam Gambhir (56) and Virender Sehwag stitched an opening partnership of 167 runs to lay a strong foundation for India.
Out of India’s first-innings total of 329 runs, Sehwag scored 201 runs off 231 balls, with 22 fours and four sixes.
Later in the second innings, Sehwag scored 50 runs off 52 balls, with six fours and one six, helping India post 269 runs and set a target of 307 runs for Sri Lanka. Following the batters’ contributions, Indian bowlers wrapped up the hosts at 136 runs and won the game by 170 runs to level the series by a 1-1 margin.
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