And it all started against Australia, where he got his first 150-plus score in India's 2003-04 tour. The swashbuckling right-hander piled up 195 in the first innings in the Boxing Day Test but his heroics could not prevent Australia from winning the match by nine wickets.

A couple of months later, came Sehwag's second 150-plus score, which might as well be termed the best of his career so far.

Sehwag, who has a reputation of being a hit-or-miss cricketer, became the first Indian batsman to score a triple hundred when he smashed 309 runs against Pakistan in Multan, which not just won the match for India but also firmly established him as a match winner.

A brief lull followed but the 29-year-old more than made up for it with a brilliant 155 in the drawn second Test against Australia in a four-match series in India, which the visitors won 2-1.

The next team which bore the brunt of Sehwag's lusty hits was South Africa, which struggled to contain the rampaging Indian, who struck 164 in a drawn match in Kanpur in November 2004.

Pakistan found themselves in Sehwag's firing line yet again in 2005 during their tour of India. Sehwag scored 173 in the first Test which ended in a draw but to the dismay of local fans could not win the series for India despite his 201-run knock in the third Test in Bangalore. The series ended 1-1.

The year changed to 2006 but Pakistan continued to be Sehwag's favourite bowling side. The opener hit the hosts all over the park en route to his 254, before the match ended in a tame draw in Lahore.

He then played another special innings in 2006 summer hitting 180 against West Indies in the drawn second Test at Gros Islet before India won the series 1-0 after sealing the fourth and final match in Kingston.