Rohit Sharma emulates Virender Sehwag

Ranchi: Team India opener Rohit Sharma has justified his selection in the best way possible. The makeshift opener brought his third century in fourth innings in this series. Rohit’s devastating form at the top-order has been one of the significant factors for India’s dominant run in the series. 

Rohit Sharma has silenced his critics with consistent scores in the series. After scores of 176 and 127 in the first Test, Rohit had a poor outing in Pune getting out cheaply. But he bounced back and scored for India when the team needed the most.

Rohit Sharma scored his maiden double hundred in test cricket and that too with a six off Lungi Ngidi for a six after lunch. In doing so, Rohit 'Hitman' Sharma became only the 4th batsman to hit a double hundred in Test and ODI cricket - after the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, and Chris Gayle.

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Incidentally, Rohit's first score in excess of 200 came on Sehwag's birthday. The legendary opening batsman is the only one to score two triple hundreds in international cricket, and would definitely have been proud of the manner in which Rohit reached his landmark score.

Rohit reached the landmark in 249 balls, smashing 28 boundaries and 4 sixes and finally departed for 212 from 255 balls with the help of 28 fours and six sixes. He was caught at the fine leg boundary by Lungi Ngidi off Kagiso Rabada.

Rohit has scored 529 runs from four innings in the ongoing Test series at a staggering average of 132.25 including three Test centuries. The 32-year-old has more runs than any other Indian batsman against South Africa in a three-Test series and third overall after Michael Clarke (576) and David Warner (543).

He is also only the 5th Indian opener after Vinoo Mankad, Budhi Kunderan, Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag to score 500 runs in a Test series.

While Twitter explodes with appreciation to this wonderful knock:

100 ✔
150 ✔
200 ✔@ImRo45 you beauty 😍 pic.twitter.com/FDMXsjlwcr

— BCCI (@BCCI) October 20, 2019

It's all about the #SpiritOfCricket 😎#INDvSA pic.twitter.com/OvTUWMOdub

— BCCI (@BCCI) October 20, 2019

It was a birthday gift from @ImRo45 to @virendersehwag
Happy birthday V I R U B H A I pic.twitter.com/Sx4bGdXil7

— ShivaKumar Rapolu (@shivakumarapolu) October 20, 2019

🎶🎇Cracked with melodyyyy....
Hpy Diwali in advance...... Folks....... pic.twitter.com/7gnlrfosl9

— Sai Kiran (@sai45sai45) October 20, 2019

However Team India are in a strong position despite losing quick wickets and declaring the innings at 497-9.

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