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Chennai: Virender Sehwag smashed a spectacular 309 not out as India gave South Africa a dose of their own medicine in the first cricket Test here on Friday.
The hosts made light of South Africa's daunting first innings 540 as they rode on Sehwag's blitzkreig to pile up 468-1 by stumps on the third day at the Chidambaram stadium.
Sehwag hit 42 boundaries and five sixes in the second triple century of his career, having made 309 against Pakistan in Multan in 2004. No other Indian has achieved the feat even once.
The 29-year-old Delhi opener joins Australian legend Don Bradman and West Indian Brian Lara as the only batsmen to have crossed the 300-run mark twice in their Test careers.
With just 11 wickets having fallen in three days on a barren pitch that is proving to be a bowlers' nightmare, a draw would appear the most likely result in the first match of the three-Test series.
But South Africa will still need to battle the Indian spinners on the wearing turf in their second innings if India, who trail by just 72 runs, manage to gain a useful lead.
Sehwag put on 213 for the first wicket with Wasim Jaffer (73) and 255 for the unbroken second with Rahul Dravid, whose returned unbeaten on 65.
Dravid, who took his career tally to 9,985 runs by stumps, needs only 15 more to become the sixth batsman in history to complete 10,000 Test runs.
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