Triple century in cricket is a rare feat, even rarer than hat-tricks in international cricket. Just 31 triple-centuries in over 143 years of Test cricket is a testimony to the fact.
England’s Andy Sandham was the first batsman to reach the 300-runs mark in Test cricket whereas Australia’s David Warner is the newest inductee in the elite list of Test triple-centurions.
Virender Sehwag scored the fastest triple century (in terms of balls faced) off 278 balls, whereas Wally Hammond’s triple century scored in 4 hours 48 minutes is the quickest (in terms of time taken).
Now, let’s have a look at some of the in-depth stats and details about triple centuries in test cricket:
Most 300s in Test Cricket (Individual Players)
27 distinct batsmen have scored triple centuries in Test matches. Only 4 of them have been able to replicate it twice. The batsmen with the most number of 300s in Test cricket are:
| SN | Players | Team | Innings | 300s |
| 1 | Sir Don Bradman | Australia | 80 | 2 |
| 2 | Virender Sehwag | India | 180 | 2 |
| 3 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | 182 | 2 |
| 4 | Brian Lara | West Indies | 232 | 2 |
Key Facts:
23 other batsmen have a triple century each to their name.
Bradman would’ve had 3 triple centuries to his name had he scored one more run when he amassed 299* against South Africa in 1932.
Sehwag also scored 293 against Sri Lanka in December 2009 and missed his third 300 by mere 7 runs.
3 players have also bowled and taken wickets in the same match as scoring a triple century. They are: Graham Gooch (England), Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) and Michael Clarke (Australia).
Caribbean batsman Brian Lara’s unbeaten 400 against England in 2004, his second Test triple-century, is the highest score in Test cricket. It’s also the only instance of a Test quadruple century.
The southpaw, Lara, is also the only player to surpass 350-runs mark twice.
Headingley (Leeds, England) and Antigua Recreation Ground (Antigua) are the two grounds with most 300s scored at them. 3 triple centuries each have been scored in those two grounds.
Teamwise 300s in Test Cricket
The different teams with the most number of triple centuries in Test cricket are:
| SN | Team | 300s | First Triple Centurion | Latest Triple Centurion |
| 1 | Australia | 8 | Sir Donald Bradman (1930) | David Warner (2019) |
| 2 | West Indies | 6 | Sir Garfield Sobers (1958) | Chris Gayle (2005) |
| 3 | England | 5 | Andy Sandham (1930) | Graham Gooch (1990) |
| 4 | Pakistan | 4 | Hanif Mohammad (1958) | Azhar Ali (2016) |
| 5 | Sri Lanka | 3 | Sanath Jayasuriya (1997) | Kumar Sangakkara (2014) |
| 6 | India | 3 | Virender Sehwag (2004) | Karun Nair (2016) |
| 7 | South Africa | 1 | Hashim Amla (2012) | Hashim Amla (2012) |
| 8 | New Zealand | 1 | Brendon McCullum (2014) | Brendon McCullum (2014) |
There are a total of 12 Test-playing nations in the world currently. Among those 12, batsmen from only 8 countries have scored triple centuries. Batsmen from Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland are yet to achieve the feat.
Australia’s Test Triple Centurions
Don Bradman’s 334 vs England in 1930 was the first Test triple century by an Australian batsman. Bradman’s insane cricket records includes 2 triple centuries to his name.
6 other Australians have scored a triple-century each in Test cricket, they are (chronologically): Bob Simpson, Bob Cowper, Mark Taylor, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke, and David Warner.
West Indies’ Test Triple Centurions
Sir Garfield Sobers scored 365* against Pakistan in 1958, becoming the first Caribbean batsman to reach 300 runs. Since then, 3 more batsmen (Lawrence Rowe, Brian Lara, and Chris Gayle) have scored triple centuries for West Indies. Of them, Brian Lara and Chris Gayle have scored two each.
England’s Test Triple Centurions
As aforementioned, England’s Andy Sandham was the first-ever batsman in history to get to 300 runs in Test cricket. After him, 4 other English players (Wally Hammond, Len Hutton, John Edrich, and Graham Gooch) have achieved the milestone once each.
Pakistan’s Test Triple Centurions
4 Pakistani batsmen have surpassed the 300-runs mark in Test cricket, namely: Hanif Mohammad, Inzamam Ul Haq, Younis Khan, and Azhar Ali.
Azhar Ali became the first batsman to score a triple century in day-night Test matches in the 2016 Test match against West Indies at DSC, Dubai.
Sri Lanka’s Test Triple Centurions
Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakara and Mahela Jayawardene are the only 3 batsmen to have aggregated more than 300 runs in a Test innings.
India’s Test Triple Centurions
Virender Sehwag has scored two triple-hundreds for India in Test matches. Apart from him, Karun Nair is the only other Indian player to score a triple century in Tests.
The Wrap Up
I’ve tried to cover almost all the bases about triple centuries in Test cricket in this article. I would like to conclude it with a prediction; Indian skipper Virat Kohli will become the next triple centurion in Test cricket.
