India's Virender Sehwag hit the fastest triple-century in Test history - in terms of balls faced - on day three of the first Test against South Africa.

Sehwag made 100 before lunch and 200 after before passing 300 from 278 balls in the evening session in Chennai.

Matthew Hayden took 362 balls against Zimbabwe in 2003 and Walter Hammond an estimated 355 in New Zealand in 1933.

Sehwag, 29, was 309 not out as he and Rahul Dravid led India, replying to South Africa's 540, to 468-8 at stumps.


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Sehwag becomes only the third batsman, alongside Sir Donald Bradman and Brian Lara, to pass 300 twice in Test cricket.

His effort puts the hosts in a strong position going into day four but, on a pitch conducive to high run-scoring and offering precious little to the bowlers, the most likely outcome remains a draw.

Yet even if India fail to force a result, the match will long be remembered for one of the finest innings seen in any form of cricket.

India resumed on 82-0 and Sehwag, 52 not out overnight, set the tone by swatting Makhaya Ntini for two boundaries off the day's opening over.

While less prolific, Wasim Jaffer's innings was proving equally important and he brought up his 10th Test 50, featuring five fours and one six, by pushing Paul Harris to mid-on.

And with South Africa's attack struggling to muster any hint of a breakthrough Sehwag notched his 100 by launching Kallis over mid-off five overs before lunch.

The pair passed India's previous highest opening stand at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, beating Sunil Gavaskar's and Kris Srikkanth's 200 against Pakistan in 1987, in the 52nd over by Jaffer fell in the 53rd.

Spinner Harris, who toiled away admirably throughout, encouraged the 30-year-old into a loose drive outside off-stump which was edged to Kallis at first slip.

Sehwag was utterly unaffected by the loss of his partner and, typifying his innings, cut Steyn for a lovely four off the very next ball.

Amid three thumping off-side fours off Morne Morkel, Sehwag notched his 150 and then hit another hat-trick of boundaries of Harris.

In the 68th over, he smashed Ntini for six over long-leg and then flicked him for three to reach his 200, slower only than Nathan Astle's 153-ball innings in Christchurch in 2002 and Sehwag's own 182-ball knock in Lahore in 2006.

Although Dravid's was finding it difficult to establish a rhythm, making just 10 off 56 balls by tea, Sehwag hit a staggering 106 off 67 balls in the middle session.

The right-hander kept India's superb run-rate high thereafter, surpassing the highest previous individual score at the ground, Gavaskar's 236 against West Indies in 1983-84.

Naturally, Sehwag tired somewhat the longer his innings went on but, more importantly, the South African bowlers were beginning toil in the evening humidity, allowing Dravid to take the ascendancy.

He began to play with great fluidity and marked his 51st Test 50 by beautifully paddling Harris for four.

But the undoubted star of the show was Sehwag, dropped from the Test side for over a year from January 2007, and he moved onto 297 by smashing Harris straight for six before flicking Ntini to deep backwards square leg for his 300.

Sehwag will resume Saturday 91 runs short of the most runs ever scored by one batsman in an innings - Lara's 400 not out against England in Antigua in 1994.