India skipper Rohit Sharma brought his A game to the fore and showcased his dominance over Pakistan's bowlers, marking his 50th ODI half-century in the Asia Cup's Super Fours clash in Colombo on 10 September, Sunday. Inthe high-voltage drama against Pakistan, opening the innings with the young gun Shubman Gill, Sharma's performance set a dominant tone for India from the word go.
Riding on a phenomenal knock of 49-ball 56, Rohit joined an elite league of India's legendary batters. With this milestone, he has now aligned himself with batting maestros like Sachin Tendulkar (96 half-centuries), Virat Kohli (65), Sourav Ganguly (71), Rahul Dravid (82), MS Dhoni (73), Mohammad Azharuddin (52), and Yuvraj Singh (52). Furthermore, Rohit’s contribution to Indian cricket isn't limited to half-centuries. He has amassed an impressive tally of 30 ODI centuries, trailing only the iconic Kohli (46) and Tendulkar (49).
Since marking his international debut in 2007, Sharma's journey in the 50-over format has been commendable. Till now, he has accumulated 9,978 ODI runs in 247 games, maintaining an impressive average of 48.91 and a strike rate of 90.19. Specifically, against the Pakistan side, Sharma's track record is notable with 787 runs in 18 ODIs, boasting an average of 49.18. This includes seven half-centuries, two centuries, and his top score of 140.
Talking about the match, the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo witnessed Sharma's aggressive start as he hit a confident six over square leg against the bowling of Shaheen Shah Afridi. Although initially troubled by Naseem Shah's inswing deliveries, Sharma seemed unstoppable once he found his rhythm, reaching his half-century in just 42 balls. His onslaught included six boundaries and four maximums, leaving the opposition in awe.
Fresh off a dominating match-winning performance against Nepal, Sharma took a while to settle against the Pakistan bowlers but quickly accelerated, putting the Pakistani bowlers under immense pressure. However, Sharma's innings came to an end post the drinks break in the 16th over, caught at deep cover off Shadab Khan's delivery. This dismissal also meant that Sharma narrowly missed the chance to reach the 10,000 ODI runs landmark in this game, needing just 78 runs.
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