How does Faf du Plessis slot into Test cricket history?

 
David Lord Columnist

By , 2 Dec 2012 David Lord is a Roar Expert

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    Only six batsmen have bettered Faf du Plessis’ first three digs of 266 with 78, 110*, and 78* in Test cricket – the first time any batsman has passed 70 three times.

    * 366 by Tip Foster in 1903 with 287*, 19, and 14* – the 287 the highest debut score in history.

    * 336 by Lawrence Rowe in 1972 with 214, 100*, and 22 – the only time a batsman has posted a double and a ton in history on debut.

    * 303 by Jacques Rudolph in 2003 with 222*, 71, ans 10.

    * 292 by Doug Walters in 1965 with 155, 22, and 115.

    * 278 by Neil Harvey in 1948 with 13, 153, and 112.

    * And 269 by Herbert Sutcliffe in 1924 with 64, 122, and 83,

    Selected notables who have come close:

    * 257 by Andrew Strauss with 112, 83, and 62.
    * 256 by Frank Worrell with 97, 28*, and 131*.
    * 252 by Kepler Wessels with 162, 46, and 44.
    * 248 by Sunil Gavaskar with 65, 67*, and 116.
    * 238 by Herbie Collins with 70, 104, and 64.
    * 237 by Michael Slater with 58, 27, and 152.
    * 231 by Gordon Greenidge with 93, 107, and 31.
    * 228 by Matthew Sinclair with 214, 8, and 6.
    * 223 by Brendon Kuruppu with 201* 19, and 3.
    * 213 by Javed Miandad with 163, 25*, and 25,
    * 205 by George Headley with 21, 176, and 8.:

    Selected notables:

    Viv Richards 199, Kevin Pietersen 192, Bill Lawry 188, Mark Waugh 187, Desmond Haynes 182, Rahul Dravid 181, Alastair Cook 181, Ricky Ponting 173, Michael Clarke 173, Mike Hussey 167, Keith Miller 149, Jack Hobbs 137, Shivnarine Chanderpaul 131, Greg Chappell 125, Wally Hammond 108, Len Hutton 101, Don Bradman 98, Mahela Jayawardene 89, Allan Border 89, Garfeield Sobers 87, Bobby Simpson 84, Sachin Tendulkar 82, Graeme Smith 72, Brian Lara 66, Kumar Sangkkara 52, Ken Barrington 52, Ian Chappell 47, Clyde Walcott 44, Graeme Pollock 43, Mak Taylor 31, Hashim Amla 27, Steve Waugh 26, Jacques Kallis 14, and Graham Gooch 6.

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