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Mumbai batter Prithvi Shaw continued his terrific form with the willow, smashing a triple hundred on Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy 2022-23 match against Assam at the Amingaon Cricket Ground in Guwahati on Wednesday, January 11. The 23-year-old notched up his maiden triple ton, with his previous best first-class score being 202.
Assam won the toss on Day 1 and asked Mumbai to bat first. Shaw was absolutely dominant on the opening day of the match, clobbering 240 runs off 283 balls with the aid of 33 fours and one six. Mumbai went to stumps on Day at 397/2, with skipper Ajinkya Rahane unbeaten on 73.
On Wednesday, Shaw resumed his assault on the Assam bowlers and raced to his maiden triple century off just 326 balls, with Rahane also bringing up his ton at the other end. The Mumbai opener’s blitz ended on 379 off 383 balls, which included 49 fours and four sixes.
Shaw’s triple ton is the sixth fastest by an Indian in first-class cricket. In the wake of his exploits, we look back at five Indian cricketers who have scored the fastest 300 in first-class cricket.
#1 Virender Sehwag (278 balls)
Virender Sehwag holds the record for having smashed the fastest triple hundred by an Indian player in first-class cricket. He achieved the feat during India’s Test against South Africa in Chennai in March 2008. The Proteas won the toss and batted first in the Test. Hashim Amla scored 159 as the visitors put up 540 in their first innings.
The Indians were supposed to be under pressure responding to a huge South African total. Instead, Sehwag came in and clobbered a triple hundred off just 278 balls. He reached his double hundred off only 194 balls, but did not relent and went on to slam his second triple ton in Test cricket.
Sehwag was eventually dismissed for 319 off 304 balls, a marathon knock featuring 42 fours and five sixes. India ended their first innings at 627 and the match ended up being a high-scoring draw.
#2 Kedar Jadhav (285 balls)
Kedar Jadhav slammed a 285-ball triple century for Maharashtra against Uttar Pradesh in a Ranji Trophy clash in Pune in November 2012. Maharashtra won the toss and elected to bat first in the game. Jadhav came in to bat at No. 4 and played a terrific knock.
The right-handed batter, who recently notched up 283 against Assam, ended up scoring 327 off just 312 balls against Uttar Pradesh. His 524-minute stay at the crease saw him strike 54 fours and two sixes. Jadhav’s exceptional innings ended when he was stumped off Piyush Chawla’s bowling.
Maharashtra declared their first innings on 764/6 declared. Uttar Pradesh responded with 669/7 as Tanmay Srivastava (179), Chawla (156) and Mukul Dagar (126) hit tons. The game ended in a draw.
#3 Punit Bisht (291 balls)
Meghalaya keeper-batter Punit Bisht hammered a triple hundred off 291 balls in a Ranji Trophy match against Sikkim in Bhubaneswar in the 2018-19 season. After Meghalaya won the toss and fielded first, their bowlers did a great job of restricting Sikkim to 219 despite Milind Kumar’s 117.
Bisht then scored a superb triple ton as Meghalaya responded with 826/7 declared. Coming in at No. 4, he struck 343 off 332 balls, slamming 53 fours and a six. He featured in a mammoth 433-run stand for the third wicket with Raj Biswa (175) and added 161 for the fourth wicket with Yogesh Nagar (148).
After Meghalaya declared their first innings, Sikkim were 304/4 in their second essay as the Ranji Trophy clash ended in a stalemate.
#4 Rohit Sharma (312 balls)
Current Team India captain Rohit Sharma clobbered a triple hundred off 312 balls for Mumbai against Gujarat in a 2009/10 Ranji Trophy game at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Gujarat elected to field first after winning the toss, but Rohit made them rue their decision with a fantastic knock.
Batting at No. 5, he eased his way to an unbeaten 309 off 322 balls as Mumbai declared their first innings at 648/6. The elegant right-handed batter occupied the crease for 458 minutes, hitting 38 fours and four sixes.
The match ended in a draw as Gujarat responded with a healthy 502 in their first innings. Keeper-batter and captain Parthiv Patel top-scored with 149, while Bhavik Thaker scored a defiant 122.
#5 Rishabh Pant (320 balls)
Team India’s keeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who is currently hospitalized after being involved in a horrific car accident last month, also features on the illustrious list. The dynamic southpaw clubbed a triple century in 320 balls for Delhi against Maharashtra during a 2016/17 Ranji Trophy match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Maharashtra batted first in the game after winning the toss. Skipper Swapnil Gugale scored an unbeaten 351 off 521 balls, while Ankit Bawne was unbeaten on 258 off 500 deliveries. The duo featured in an unbroken third-wicket stand of 594 as Maharashtra declared on 635/2.
Delhi would have been under tremendous pressure, but Pant showed his class, whacking 308 off 326 balls. The left-handed dasher struck 42 fours and nine sixes before he was stumped off Satyajeet Bachhav’s bowling. Delhi ended their first innings on 590 as the match headed towards a draw.
Also Read: 3 players who were dropped immediately after scoring a big hundred
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