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India skipper Rohit Sharma gave India the perfect start, scoring an impressive 47 runs from 29 balls, including four sixes and an equal number of boundaries during their ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 semi-final clash against New Zealand at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday, November 15.
His innings was brought to an end by Tim Southee, with India's score at 71/1. However, his opening partner Shubman Gill's time at the crease was halted suddenly in the 23rd over due to cramps. Rohit, observing Gill's struggle on the field, conveyed a message instructing Gill to head back to the dressing room for medical attention, opting against the opener continuing to limp while running between the wickets.
The message was sent via veteran all-rounder R Ashwin, who also fed Shubman Gill what looked like a painkiller for his cramps as the batter prepared to continue playing on.
However, Gill retired hurt when he was batting on 79 off 65 balls, with eight fours and three sixes to his name. He shared a 71-run opening partnership with Rohit who contributed with a 29-ball 47. After Rohit's wicket, he accelerated and took on the spinners to get to his half-century from 41 balls. He continued to target the spinners until cramps got the better of him.
In what has been an exceptional display of batting for India, the top four, except skipper Rohit Sharma, the trio of Gill, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer have all hit half-centuries to continue their form for India. Kohli yet again proved his batting might as he shattered the great Sachin Tendulkar's all-time record of most runs in a single edition of the ODI World Cup.
In the 2003 ODI World Cup, batting legend Tendulkar recorded the most runs in a single edition of the tournament, i.e. 673 runs. The batting great slammed seven fifties to taste the glory back then. Twenty years later, Kohli went on to surpass Tendulkar with 674 runs and is still unbeaten on the crease with an intent to break the Master Blaster's other historic record of most ODI tons.
Meanwhile, openers Gill and Rohit are the first pair to share 14 fifty-plus stands in a calendar year of ODI cricket. They broke the record with a 71-run partnership, with the previous record belonging to former Australian openers Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden — 13 fifty-plus partnerships from 26 innings in 2007.
Gill and Sharma achieved the feat in just 21 innings in 2023.
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