Triple Centuries In Tests

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Virender Sehwag joins the 300 club

The tale of the triple tons

S Rajesh

March 30, 2004

Virender Sehwag became only the 17th member of the triple-hundred club, and the 11th opener to achieve one. He also became the third batsman to achieve the feat in Pakistan - Mark Taylor and Inzamam-ul-Haq were the other two.

Openers scoring triple-hundreds
Score versus Venue & year
Hayden 380 Zim Perth, 2003-04
Hutton 364 Aus The Oval, 1938
Jayasuriya 340 Ind Khettarama, 1997-98
Hanif Mohammad 337 WI Bridgetown, 1957-58
Mark Taylor 334* Pak Peshawar, 1998-99
Gooch 333 Ind Lord's, 1990
Sandham 325 WI Kingston, 1929-30
Simpson 311 Eng Old Trafford, 1964
John Edrich 310* NZ Headingley, 1965
Sehwag 309 Pak Multan, 2003-04
Rowe 302 Eng Bridgetown, 1973-74

***

Only six of those 17 triple-centuries actually led to a win: 11 of them were in Tests that ended in a draw.

Triple-hundreds in winning causes
Score Vs Venue & year Result
Hayden 380 Zim Perth, 2003-04 Aus won by inn & 175
Sobers 365* Pak Kingston, 1957-58 WI won by inn & 174
Hutton 364 Aus The Oval, 1938 Eng won by inn & 579
Gooch 333 Ind Lord's, 1990 Eng won by 247 runs
Inzamam 329 NZ Lahore, 2001-02 Pak won by inn & 324
John Edrich 310* NZ Headingley, 1965 Eng won by inn & 187

***

Sehwag's was the third triple-ton in the last 94 Tests – Inzamam and Matthew Hayden are the two others – which is perhaps a reflection of the dearth of quality bowlers in international cricket today. The rate of one every 31 Tests might seem far too frequent, but there was another period, during the 1950s and 1960s, when triple-centuries were scored at the same rate. It started with Hanif Mohammad scoring one in Barbados against West Indies in 1957-58, which was quickly followed by Garry Sobers's unbeaten 365 at Kingston in the same series – still the only instance of two triple-hundreds in the same series. (Hanif, meanwhile, is the only player to hit a triple-century in the second innings.) Bob Simpson, John Edrich and Bob Cowper followed soon after in the mid-1960s, and in all, there were five of them in 156 Tests, which is one every 31 Tests.

The rate was even more frenetic in the 1930s: between the 193rd and 266th Tests – that's 74 matches – an incredible five of them were notched up, one every 15 games. Andy Sandham, Wally Hammond and and Len Hutton all collected one each, while Don Bradman managed two. At the other end of the spectrum is the period between the 602nd and the 1599th Tests – 998 matches, from 1966-67 to 2000-01 – which produced only five such innings, an average of nearly one every 200 Tests. The longest period of drought stretched over 413 Tests, between Lawrence Rowe's 302 for West Indies v England at Bridgetown in 1973-74 and Graham Gooch's 333 for England v India at Lord's in 1990. Given the friendly bowling attacks going around in international cricket these days, that record is unlikely to be broken in a hurry.

© Wisden Cricinfo Ltd


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