Who Was the First Indian Cricketer to Score a Triple Century?

Test cricket is the longest and hardest format of the game. A batter has to face hundreds of deliveries, stay focused for hours, and keep scoring runs without getting out. Most batters are happy to score a fifty or a hundred in a Test match. 

Scoring 200 is rare but scoring 300 or more in a single innings is something that very few cricketers in the entire history of the game have ever done.

India has produced many great batters over the years. But for a long time, no Indian cricketer had ever crossed the 300-run mark in a Test innings. That record broke in 2004 when one Indian batsman played an innings that the cricket world had never seen before.

So who was the first Indian cricketer to score a triple century in test cricket? Let us find out.

First Indian Cricketer to Score A Triple Century

Virender Sehwag was the first Indian cricketer to score a triple century in Test cricket. He did this during India's Test match against Pakistan at the Multan Cricket Stadium on March 29, 2004. Sehwag scored 309 runs in that innings.

This was not just a record for India. It was one of the best batting performances in modern Test cricket.

India toured Pakistan in 2004 for the first time in 15 years. The first Test was played in Multan on a flat pitch that was good for batting.

India batted first. Sehwag and Aakash Chopra opened together and put on 160 runs. Chopra got out for 42 and Rahul Dravid also did not last long. Then Sachin Tendulkar came in and he and Sehwag added 336 runs together for the third wicket.

Sehwag was in complete control throughout. Just before lunch on Day 2, he hit Saqlain Mushtaq for a big six over midwicket and became the first Indian to reach 300 in a Test match. He was finally out for 309, caught at slip off Mohammad Sami. His innings lasted 375 balls and 531 minutes. He hit 39 fours and 6 sixes.

Before this innings, VVS Laxman held the record for the highest score by an Indian in Tests with 281. Sehwag broke that record easily. The Sehwag-Tendulkar partnership of 336 also broke India's previous best third-wicket record of 316.

India declared their innings at 675 runs. Pakistan scored 407 in reply and were made to follow on. In their second innings, Pakistan were bowled out for just 216. Anil Kumble picked up 6 wickets. India won the match by an innings and 52 runs. Sehwag won the Man of the Match award.

After this innings, fans gave Sehwag the nickname "Multan ka Sultan."

Sehwag Scores a Second Triple Century in 2008

Four years later, Sehwag did it again. In Chennai in March 2008 against South Africa, he scored 319 runs. This time, he reached 300 in just 278 balls, which is the fastest anyone has ever scored a triple century in Test cricket history. It is the only time a batter has scored a triple century in fewer than 300 balls.

His 319 is still the highest score ever made by an Indian batter in Test cricket. India scored 627 runs in that innings. The match ended in a draw but Sehwag won the Man of the Match award once again.

Sehwag is the only Indian to score two triple centuries in Test cricket. Globally, only a very small group of players have done this, including Donald Bradman, Brian Lara, and Chris Gayle.

Key Stats: Sehwag's Two Triple Centuries

Who was the Second Indian to Score a Triple Century? 

After Sehwag, the next Indian to score a triple century was Karun Nair. He did it on December 19, 2016 against England in Chennai. Nair scored 303 runs and remained not out. He faced 381 balls and hit 32 fours and 4 sixes.

What made this innings special is that it was Nair's first ever Test century. He turned it directly into a triple century, which no other Indian had done before. India declared their innings at 759 for 7, which is still India's highest ever score in Test cricket. Nair won the Man of the Match award.

Before 2004, no Indian batter had ever crossed 300 in a Test match. Sehwag changed that and did it twice. His batting style was simple but very effective. He attacked from ball one and never slowed down. His two triple centuries are a big part of Indian cricket history and will stay in the record books forever.