Rohit Sharma, on way to his seventh Test ton, was under pressure to perform. However, he brushed off everything and adopted an aggressive approach.
Rohit Sharma after scoring his seventh Test century. (Twitter/@BCCI)
Opener Rohit Sharma on Saturday scored his first hundred in Test cricket in over a year during India’s first innings against England on Day 1 of the second Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Rohit’s century came after eight Test innings and courtesy of it, India have gone ahead on the opening day of the second Test of the four-match series.
The right-handed batsman, on way to his seventh Test ton, was under pressure to perform. However, he brushed off everything and adopted an aggressive approach on a rank yurner.
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The 33-year-old Mumbaikar took 130 deliveries for his century, lacing it with 14 fours and two sixes.
Sharma got India off the mark with a boundary through extra cover even though fellow opening partner Shubman Gill had fallen in only the second over of the match.
He then dealt in boundaries reaching 41 off 36 balls at the first drinks break, hitting six fours and a six.
Sharma reached his fifty — with two more fours — just after the drinks break off 49 deliveries.
He went to lunch at 80 off 78 deliveries.
Even as his 85-run with Cheteshwar Pujara ended and Virat Kohli fell for a duck, Sharma continued playing shots.
After his double century in Ranchi against South Africa in October, 2019, the Mumbai batsman had failed to put up a big score, scoring just one half-century. He also missed a few Tests due to injury and Covid-19 quarantine.
Last month, in the third Test against Australia in Sydney, Sharma played his first Test since November, 2019 and began with promise. But he failed to get big scores.
On Saturday, he ensured he stayed on to complete not just fifty but century and looked good for more after lunch. By the team India reached the 150-run mark, he had scored over 2/3rd of his team’s score.
With IANS inputs
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