India captain and opening batter, Rohit Sharma etched his name alongside the legendary Sunil Gavaskar by matching the record for the most Test centuries by an Indian opener against England. This significant achievement came during the 5th Test of the enthralling 5-match series, hosted at the scenic Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.
Demonstrating his prowess in merely his 13th Test against England, Rohit Sharma's journey to this milestone was considerably faster compared to Gavaskar's, who notched his fourth hundred in his 23rd Test against the same opposition. Hailing from Nagpur, Rohit reached this impressive century off 154 balls during the morning session of Day 2. In a moment that highlighted his skill and patience, he nudged Tom Hartley for a single through mid-wicket in the 58th over, marking his 12th Test century with style.
Post lunch, Rohit was dismissed by English skipper Ben Stokes and the Indian captain walked back to the pavilion after scoring 103 runs.
Rohit has 4 Test centuries against England
This century against England is particularly noteworthy as it is Rohit's highest number of centuries against any single team in Test cricket, underlining his effectiveness and consistency at the highest level. With this feat, he joins Sunil Gavaskar in the pantheon of Indian openers with the most centuries in Tests against England, both standing tall with four centuries each. This elite list also includes cricket luminaries like Vijay Merchant, KL Rahul, and Murali Vijay, each with three centuries.
Beyond just scoring centuries, Rohit Sharma surpassed the 1000-run mark against England, joining Gavaskar as one of the two Indian openers to achieve this feat. Gavaskar, with his monumental 24,83 runs from 37 Tests, set a high benchmark which Rohit continues to emulate with his own impressive run-scoring spree.
Rohit breaches the 4,000-run mark in Tests
Rohit's milestone of 4000 runs in Test cricket was reached in the second innings of the Ranchi Test, further consolidating his position as a modern-day great. His role as India's captain has also been groundbreaking, leading India to a series victory against England and marking the first series defeat for England in the Bazball era under his captaincy.
After a setback in the Hyderabad Test, Rohit's resilient leadership and strategic acumen have steered India to a commendable 3-1 series lead, showcasing his nerves of steel and tactical brilliance. This series has not only been a testament to Rohit Sharma's batting prowess but also his capacity to inspire and lead from the front.
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