(Second Lead)

Chennai, March 28 (IANS) Virender Sehwag hammered his career’s second Test triple century and the fastest of all time here Friday to join the legendary Australian Don Bradman and West Indies’ Brian Lara. Resuming at his overnight 52, Sehwag completed his career’s 14th century on the third day of the first Test against South Africa.

This is Sehwag’s second successive century, having scored 151 in the fourth Test against Australia in Adelaide in January. He reached the coveted 300-mark off 278 balls, cracking 41 boundaries and five sixes, which made his knock the fastest in the 131-year history of the game.

Only these three batsmen have scored two triple centuries in Test annals. Sehwag, who reached the landmark with a single off pacer Makhaya Ntini, become the first Indian to score a triple century March 29, 2004, when he scored 309 against Pakistan in Multan. Interestingly, his second triple ton came just a day before the fourth anniversary of his 309.

It was Test cricket’s 22nd triple century.

At stumps, Sehwag was batting on 309 (292 balls, 41×4s, 5×6s) along with Rahul Dravid (65, 181 balls, 8×4s) in India’s first-innings total of 468 for one wicket in 106 overs. South Africa scored 540 in their first innings.