Priceless Gem No. 1
Period and venue: March 2004/ Multan
Result: India won by an innings
Sehwag's priceless gem: 309
Key factor : First Indian to get a test triple hundred
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
309 375 531 82.40 39 6
This was easily the best inning played by Virender Sehwag for many reasons. The new generation Indian team had never toured Pakistan before this match for a test series and therefore were considered underdogs. But, the way Sehwag knocked the stuffing off Shoaib Akthar was something that gave Indian cricket a new meaning in the international arena. And his strike rate of 82 plus was phenomenal to say the least. It was nearly 10 hours of magic.
Priceless Gem No. 2
Period and venue: March 2009/ Hamilton
Result: India won by 84 runs (D/L method)
Sehwag's priceless gem: 125
Key factor: Fastest ODI hundred by an Indian cricketer
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
125 74 106 169.01 14 6
Prior to this match, India had taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the 5-match series. A win here would clinch them a rare series win in New Zealand. The Kiwis had made a competitive 270 from 47 overs in fairly seaming conditions on a day when the rain Gods were playing hide and seek. Then came Sehwag and his blade did the talking. He raced to his 100 in just 60 balls, thus becoming the fastest ODI centurion from India.
Priceless Gem No. 3
Period and venue: December 2003/ Melbourne
Result: India lost by 9 wickets
Sehwag's priceless gem: 195
Key factor of the inning - Fastest test 150 by an Indian in Australia
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
195 233 312 83.7 25 5
When Sehwag gets going, even the best bowlers will have to run for cover. This was evident in the way he despatched Brett Lee to all parts of MCG in an absolute blinder. The blatant assault by Sehwag almost led him to a famous record of double hundred in a single day in Melbourne but the Nawab of Najafgarh fell short by 5 runs. India went on to lose the test match but Viru's innings will be remembered forever.
Priceless Gem No. 4
Period and venue: March 2008/ Chennai
Result: Match drawn
Sehwag's priceless gem: 319
Key factor: fastest triple hundred in test cricket
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
319 304 530 104.9 42 6
South Africa would have fancied their chances in the first test of the series after posting a mammoth 540 in their first innings. But, little did they realise what was coming their way. A storm brewing in the Bay of Bengal and was named Cyclone Viru. He simply blew them away with a thunderous knock that even had the record-writers busy carving the new name. Sehwag raced to the fastest triple hundred in test cricket ever and what an inning it was.
Priceless Gem No. 5
Period and venue: February 2009/ Colombo
Result: India won by 147 runs
Sehwag's priceless gem: 116
Key factor - Series-winning knock
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
116 90 165 129 17 0
It was the 3rd match of the 5-match series and India already were leading 2-0. So, a win here and the series in the pocket. Sehwag knew the situation when India won the toss and decided to use the willow. Sehwag blazed from the word go and smashed a majestic 116 off just 90 balls as he set such a platform that India pulverised the Lankans to win the series in emphatic fashion.
Priceless Gem No. 6
Period and venue: august 2008/ Galle
Result: India won by 170 runs
Sehwag's priceless gem: 201
Key factor - Series-levelling knock
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
201 231 348 87.10 22 4
India had come into the second test of the series after suffering their worst ever defeat in Sri Lanka and one of their all-time worst defeats at the SSC in Colombo. And just when they were looking for some inspiration, they had the magic of Virender Sehwag. The opener carried his bat in an inning, where all the other batsmen were simply falling apart. Sehwag contributed nearly 70% of the team's total. India won the match and levelled the series
Priceless Gem No. 7
Period and venue: January 2006/ Lahore
Result: Match Drawn
Sehwag's priceless gem: 254
Key factor - Fastest 250 in test cricket (then)
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
254 247 328 102.83 47 1
Two years after Sehwag had demolished the Pakistani attack on his way to 309 at Multan, the PCB decided not to field Multan as one of the venues for this Indian tour. But, little did they know that Sehwag was a man for all occasions and all venues. After Pakistan made 679 and were looking to put pressure on the Indian batsmen, Viru comes up with another blinder. A run a ball 250, which eventually was the fastest 250 in test cricket.
Priceless Gem No. 8
Period and venue: June 2008/ Karachi
Result: India won by 6 wickets and 8 overs to spare
Sehwag's priceless gem: 119
Key factor - India's record chase in Pakistan (then)
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
119 95 150 125.3 12 5
Karachi is never an easy venue for India traditionally. With full crowd roaring for Pakistan, the home team made a commanding 299 in their 50 overs. Needing exactly a run a ball, India couldn't have asked for a better start. Sehwag tore into Sohail Tanvir and Rao Iftikhar Anjum to set up the run chase for India before Raina and Yuvi ensured it was a landslide victory for the visitors.
Priceless Gem No. 9
Period and venue: December 2009/ Mumbai
Result: India won by an innings and 24 runs
Sehwag's priceless gem: 293
Key factor - Fastest 250 in test cricket
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
293 254 366 115.4 40 7
It was a golden run for Virender Sehwag and he was only getting stronger by the day. If one had thought his records are simply unbreakable, they were wrong cause Sehwag was still playing active cricket and he was there to break them. He bludgeoned Lankan bowlers to all parts of the historic Brabourne in Mumbai and in the process broke his own record for fastest 250 in test cricket. He would have broken again his own record for fastest triple hundred had he scored 7 more runs to his majestic 293.
Priceless Gem No. 10
Period and venue: December 2009/ Rajkot
Result: India won by 3 runs
Sehwag's priceless gem: 146
Key factor - Match-winning knock
Key statistics of the inning
Runs Balls faced Minutes Strike rate 4s 6s
146 102 166 143.1 17 6
Barely a few days after smashing 293 in 254 balls, Sehwag continued to haunt the hapless Sri Lankans. This time at Rajkot in the first ODI the Nawab blasted 146 off just 102 balls and looked good to break the then world record of Saeed Anwar with nearly 15 overs left. But, he got out to a soft dismissal in the end. It was ironically a match where both teams scored over 400 runs and Sri Lanka lost by a mere 3 runs.
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