New Delhi:
Rohit Sharma's promotion as an opener in the Indian cricket team has already yielded massive benefits as the Mumbai right-hander scored a century in both innings of the Vizag Test to put India in a position of strength against South Africa. Rohit's knock was his fifth century and he became the sixth Indian player after Vizaj Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane to score a century in both innings of a Test match.
Hazare was the first Indian to achieve the feat of scoring hundreds in both innings of a Test match and it took place against Australia in Adelaide in 1948. While Gavaskar achieved the feat three times (twice against West Indies and once against Pakistan), Dravid got it twice against New Zealand and Pakistan. Kohli scored centuries in both innings in 2014 against Australia in Adelaide while Rahane scored both hundreds in the same Test against South Africa in Delhi.
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Carrying on his great form from the first innings, Rohit was confidence personified as he blasted two sixes off Keshav Maharaj as Mayank Agarwal fell cheaply. On a spinning wicket, Rohit decided to counterattack the spinners and it paid off handsomely. After launching Dane Piedt for his third six, Rohit created another record as he blasted the most sixes in a Test match by an Indian player, breaking the record of eight set by Navjot Singh Sidhu in the Lucknow Test against Sri Lanka in Lucknow in 1994. After reaching his milestone, he blasted Piedt for three more sixes to take his tally of sixes to 13.
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Before reaching his half century, Rohit had a slice of good fortune as he danced down the track to Maharaj but the ball spun past him. However, Quinton de Kock fluffed the stumping chance. After reaching fifty, Rohit miscued Piedt to long on where Senuran Muthusamy ran to his right and took catch close to the boundary at long on. However, as he steadied to keep the ball in the field of play, his foot touched the advertising hoardings and Rohit had managed to hit his fourth six off the innings. Along with Rohit, Cheteshwar Pujara also gained confidence after a slow start.
Following the drinks break, Pujara smashed boundaries at will. Even the Saurashtra batsman had a slice of good fortune, with de Kock missing his catching plus stumping chance. Pujara also benefited from two outside edges going wide of de Kock. Rohit smoothly moved into the 90s with a pull of Piedt. Although Pujara was trapped LBW by Philander, Rohit marched on and he notched up his milestone by flicking Philander to square leg to enter an elite list. This is not the only record for Rohit as he now has the most runs in his maiden innings as a Test opener, comfortably breaking the record set by Kepler Wessels of South Africa.
