The third and final Test Match of the ongoing Test Series between India and Sri Lanka started with eager anticipation of an Indian win. The entire country was looking forward to an Indian win which would have propelled India to the top of Test Rankings.  However after conclusion of second days play, there was only one thing which mattered to all Indians, whether Sehwag would get to his triple century.

It was a foregone conclusion that Sehwag who was batting on 284 at stumps on the second day would easily go on to complete his triple century.  What was in Sehwag's favour was the fact that he has the experience of two triple centuries behind him.  The only point of interest was whether Sehwag would go on to break Brian Laras world record score of 400 and also become the first batsman in the history of game to score three tripe centuries in a career.  Muthian Muralidharan by getting Sehwag out for 293 dashed the hopes of a entire country and millions of Sehwag's fans across the world.  Many in India are so hurt that they do not have any interest in result of the match as it hardly matters for them whether India win or Sri Lanka manage to hold on for a day. 

This is not the first time in the series or in the history of cricket that a player has come close to a triple century and missed it. Mahela Jayawardana came close to scoring a triple century in the first test match of the ongoing series, but Jayawardana inspite of being a great player himself comes nowhere close to the adulation that Sehwag receives from millions not only in his own country but all across the world.  Jayawardene's dismissal in the first test when being close to a triple century would not have hurt Sri Lankan fans as much it hurt Indian fans and millions of cricket followers worldwide.

The test match currently played in being Mumbai will forever be remembered in the history of the game because this is probably the first time that an entire country was so engrossed in the performance of an individual, that the result of the match has lost its signficance especially since when the country is on the threshold of creating cricketing history by claiming the status of number one team in the world.