Rohit Sharma slams 12th Test century, close to completing 400 runs in India vs England series
Rohit Sharma was in good form as he attained his 12th century in a Test with England on Day two in the Dharamshala Test. The India captain, continuing his red-hot form in the current World Test Championship cycle, notched up his 2nd century of the series and came close to completing 400 runs. Rohit is the only Indian in WTC’s top-10 run-scorers as he and Shubman Gill – through a terrific partnership for the second wicket – propelled India into the lead.
Rohit Sharma brought up his 2nd century of the series. (REUTERS) –
Rohit Sharma recorded his second hundred in the series. (REUTERS)
Resuming on his overnight score of 52, Rohit switched to overdrive from the very beginning, exuding shades of his aggressive self at the World Cup. Rohit stretched his muscles after a maiden and tight over from James Anderson as he took a six and a four off consecutive delivery from Shoaib Bashir. Gill then took charge in the next over – smashing Anderson for a maximum and two boundaries off three balls to take 14 off it as the partnership between the two flourished.
Rohit was on 68 when England had a half chance to dismiss him when he glanced at the ball and it sailed past the leg slip fielders. Rohit did not get another boundary off his bat for a while, but Gill was unstoppable even as the India captain stepped down. After Anderson, it was Mark Wood’s turn to feel the heat as the batter creamed a couple of delightful boundaries to get the appreciation from his father in the stands.
Between the two, Gill was the first who brought up his 400 runs for the series – his second-highest run rally in a Test series behind the 529 runs he piled against South Africa at home in 2019. Rohit broke the chains after the shackles had been quiet for a while. He gave himself room and spanked Wood through the off-side for a cracking boundary, almost as if he was warming up for the IPL. The greatness behind that stroke was that Ben Stokes had six fielders in the deep for Rohit, but he chose to target extra cover for a four. Rohit and Gill resumed their century partnership as the runs continued to flow.
Rohit Sharma takes off following a slow start
This is Rohit’s third 50-plus score of the series to go with his knock of 131 in Rajkot and 55 during the last game at Ranchi. With Virat Kohli out there, a great deal rode on the India skipper to lead from the front, when India lost the opening Test in Hyderabad, the pressure just mounted. Nevertheless, despite a slow start to the series with scores of 24, 39, 14 along with 13, Rohit turned it on in the third Test, scoring a brilliant hundred and stitching a game changing partnership with Ravindra Jadeja when India were in all kinds of trouble at 33/3.
In Dhoni’s hometown of Ranchi, Rohit fell cheaply in the first innings, but with India chasing a tricky 192-run target on a slow, deteriorating and turning pitch, held the innings to give India a brilliant start with Yashasvi Jaiswal. Rohit is playing the 5th Test in a series for the very first time in a career and will also be counted in Dharamshala as India seek a 4 – 1 result.