5 most interesting Test matches between India and South Africa

5. First Test in 2007-08 series at Chennai:

This was the Test match in which the swashbuckling Indian opener, Virender Sehwag scored his (and also India’s) second triple-hundred in Tests (after his exploits in Multan, Pakistan).

Sehwag joined the likes of Sir Don Bradman and Brian Lara and brightened up a match that proved to be a ‘statistician’s delight’.

The first-Test of the three-Test serie was played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai, between 26^th and 30^th March, 2008.

Graeme Smith won the toss and chose to bat under the sweltering conditions.

Riding on the back of wonderful knocks by the skipper, Graeme Smith (73, 157m, 97b, 13*4), Neil McKenzie (94, 230m, 156b, 18*4),  a well made century by Hashim Amla (159, 406m, 262b, 20*4), and the wicket-keeper Mark Boucher (70, 26m, 146b, 9*4), South Africa piled up a mammoth 540 runs in their first innings.

The Indian bowlers toiled hard in the heat and taking advantage of the slowness of the pitch, the offie, Harbhajan Singh, scalped 5 wickets in his spell of 44.5 overs, giving away 164 runs in the process.

Speedsters RP Singh, Sreesanth and the leggie Kumble, ended up giving more than 100 runs each.

Following a well made 73 runs (250m, 166b, 6*4, 1*6) by the opener Wasim Jaffer, the other opener, Virender Sehwag registered his second triple hundred in Test cricket. He braved the heat to score 319 runs off 304 deliveries with 42 fours and 5 sixes. He had been at the crease for close to 9 hours (530 minutes).

Alongwith Rahul Dravid, the other centurion (111, 396m, 291b, 15*4), Sehwag put up a 268-run partnership (the best partnership in the match) for the second wicket.

India replied with a huge 627 runs in their first innings, taking a lead of 87 runs.

Dale Steyn (32-3-103-4), Makhaya Ntini (28-3-128-3) and Paul Harris (53.1-6-203-3) were the successful bowlers.

With just four sessions, remaining in the match, South Africa commenced their second knock.

Aided by an unbeaten century (155*, 445m, 339d, 13*4, 1*6) by the opener, McKenzie and another useful knock by the first innings centurion, Hashim Amla (81, 200m, 148b, 9*4), they scored 331 runs for the loss of 5 wickets by Day 5 end and the match ended in a draw.

Harbhajan Singh, following his 5-wicket haul in the first innings, picked up another 3 wickets in the second, giving away 101 runs in his spell of 34 overs. He ended up with a match figure of 78.5-5-275-8.

The high point of the game being the second triple Test hundred scored by Virender Sehwag. He was adjudged the Player of the Match.