Despite his immense talent and potential, Rohit SharmaHis ODI numbers were nothing more than ordinary for one third of his career. He scored 1978 runs in 81 innings at an average of 30.43 and strike rate of 77.9 with two centuries and 12 fifties. Nothing to write home about! January 23, 2013, India vs England, 4th ODI, Mohali: Rohit Sharma was sent up to open the innings for India. He had previously batted as an opener three times in 2011 but that was more of a temporary role than an inspired effort. Rohit played a brilliant inning of 83 runs in 93 balls and helped India chase the target of 258 runs set by England. That innings brought some changes in ODI batsman Rohit. He never looked back. India had discovered a new star in the top order. Since the start of 2013, ODI opener Rohit has scored 8807 runs in 173 innings at an average of 56.45 and a strike rate of 96.29 with 29 centuries and 44 fifties. He is considered one of the greatest ODI opening batsmen of all time. Fast forward to 2019.
He was already the greatest player of all time in limited overs cricket. He has scored 8686 runs in 211 innings of ODI at an average of 48.5 and with the help of 27 centuries. He broke countless records in the 2019 World Cup in England by scoring 648 runs in just nine innings, including five centuries! His T20I figures were also shocking. Only Virat Kohli His total was high and no one had recorded more than four centuries in the format. Despite these great achievements in white-ball cricket, Rohit Sharma struggled to make a name for himself in Test cricket these figures suggest.
struggle in test cricket
Rohit’s numbers in Test cricket were unmatched in the first 27 Tests of his career – 1585 runs in 27 matches at an average of 39.6 with three centuries and 10 fifties. Although he had a great start by registering two centuries in his first two matches in the format, after that Rohit failed to live up to expectations and his future in red-ball cricket looked uncertain. He had failed in 13 of the 27 Test matches he played for India from his debut in November 2013 to the Boxing Day Test at the MCG in 2018. Rohit’s overall average also suffered slightly due to his performance on home soil. While his numbers in India were quite impressive – 769 runs in nine matches at an average of 85.4 with three centuries and five fifties, the real yardstick to judge any batsman has always been his performance overseas, outside his comfort zone and that’s what he The place where Rohit had performed. Failed miserably. He played most of his Test cricket outside the country where his performance was very poor!
He scored only 816 runs in 18 overseas Test matches at a modest average of 26.3, including five fifties but no centuries. His returns in 2018 were poor and he was on a weak path in Test cricket. He could score only 184 runs in eight overseas innings at an average of 26.28 and scored only one half-century in the calendar year. Time was running out for Test batsman Rohit. There were demands to drop him from the team.
Masterstroke 2.0 – Birth of Test opener Rohit
India vs South Africa, 1st Test, Vizag, Oct 2-6, 2019: Rohit Sharma has been sent up to open the innings for the first time in Test cricket.
This is his last chance to make a mark in this format. Rohit grabbed the opportunity with both hands and scored not one but two centuries in the match – in the first innings he scored 176 runs in 244 balls and in the second innings he scored 127 runs in 149 balls! Only five other Indians had achieved the unique feat of scoring a century in each innings of a Test – Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul DravidVirat Kohli and Ajinkya RahaneIndia defeated South Africa by 203 runs. The performance transformed Test batsman Rohit. For the second time in his cricket career, the decision to promote Rohit to open the innings proved to be a masterstroke! Rohit has emerged as a real match-winner for India at the top of the order. Rohit’s test numbers have been continuously increasing since the Vizag test. He has scored 2563 runs in 34 matches at an average of 48.35, which includes nine centuries (including one double century) and seven fifties.
Only Dimuth Karunaratne Sri Lanka has scored more runs than Rohit as a Test opener since October, 2019. Rohit’s nine centuries are also the most for any opening batsman in this time frame and his average puts him fourth among the 18 openers with the lowest scores. Scored 1000 runs during this period.
changes in foreign fortunes
Rohit has played 22 Tests as an opener in India and has scored 1644 runs at an average of 51.37, which includes seven centuries and two fifties. A major feature of his batting has been his strike rate and the determination he has shown against the new ball. Opener Rohit’s strike rate at home is 65.16 which shows his aggressive mentality. He is not only taking away the shine of the new ball and breaking the morale of the opposition bowlers, but is also giving enough time to the Indian bowlers to bowl out the opposition twice – something which Virender Sehwag Performed brilliantly for the country in the 2000s. Rohit’s most impressive innings in this timeframe came against England in the second Test in Chennai in 2021. India were down 0-1 in the series and had their backs against the wall on a treacherous wicket in Chepauk.
Almost every other Indian batsman struggled in these conditions, but Rohit counter-attacked and scored a brilliant 161 off just 231 balls, taking India to a lead and total of over 300. This is considered one of the greatest innings by any batsman in the subcontinent. However, the real change was seen in his overseas performances. Since the start of 2021, Rohit has scored a total of 919 runs at an average of 43.76 with two centuries and five fifties in only 12 Test matches outside India. they added together Shubman Gill Giving India solid starts in both innings at the SCG before scoring a quickfire 44 in the first innings in Brisbane – thus playing his part in a historic win in 2021! Rohit’s 83 runs and his century stand with the opening KL Rahul It was a major contributing factor to India’s massive victory at Lord’s in the English summer. He then recorded his first overseas Test century in the fourth Test at the Oval, where his brilliant 127 in the second innings helped India level the series 2–2. Rohit scored another overseas century a few years later against the West Indies at Roseau.
India’s highest run scorer in Tests since October 2019
The Big 3 – Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane – were going through a major decline between 2020 and 2021. Rohit seized the opportunity for India and scored tough runs in what was a difficult phase for Indian batting in Test cricket. Rohit’s batting average is better than Kohli, Pujara, Rahane, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant Since he moved into his new avatar as an opening batsman. No Indian batsman has scored more runs than Rohit in his time frame, nor has anyone recorded more than his nine centuries. Rohit is counted among the best Test openers in the world today. He is an influential player and a match-winner for India at the top of the order. Those two days in Mohali and Vizag, almost seven years apart, changed their lives forever!
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