Rohit Sharma scripts history vs South Africa

Vishakhapatnam: Team India in a commanding position in the first test of the Freedom trophy against South Africa. Rohit becomes the first batsman to score two hundreds in first Test as opener. 

Rohit Sharma becomes the the sixth player from India to have achieved the distinction of scoring centuries in both the innings of a Test, he had bagged his opening opportunity with both hands.

The comeback everyone was expecting for, Rohit Sharma smashed back to back hundreds in the first test match of the Freedom trophy, in his knock of 127 Rohit slaughtered 10 fours and 7 mammoth sixes at limited overs pace striking at more than 85. India started the 2nd innings with a lead of 71 runs and had to post a decent target on board. Cheteshwar Pujara played a fine knock of 81 and helped India post a target of 395 for the visitors.   

Rohit now holds the record for most sixes in a Test match in India. The Mumbai batsman had hit six maximums in the first innings and then hit seven more in the second to break Navjot Singh Sidhu’s record, who hit eight sixes in Lucknow Test against Sri Lanka in 1994.

Matthew Hayden, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and Ajinkya Rahane take the tied third spot as all four of them hit seven sixes during their respective Test matches. Rohit now tops this illustrious list by breaking Sidhu’s 25-year-old record.

Vishakhapatnam Test is Rohit’s first outing in the longest format as an opener for India and he has been a revelation. He slammed a majestic 176 to help India post in excess of 500 while in the second innings, dominating the South African bowlers throughout his innings.

Indian opener Rohit Sharma has joined an elite list as he has become the first batsman to score seven straight fifty plus scores in India. The right-hander has been in fine form while playing in the home conditions. As a fact Rohit Sharma's average of 98.22 at home was same as the legendary Sir Don Bradman, prior to this inning. Though after this knock Rohit has a better average than Don Bradman.

With India looking to win the game, they needed to score quickly and Rohit did exactly that. The opening batsman reached his century off just 133 balls with the help of 10 fours and 7 sixes. And as soon as Rohit Sharma reached the three-digit mark, the cricket fraternity was quick to laud him.

India, meanwhile, are in command of the game. The hosts South Africa chasing a score of 395 in the fourth innings lost an early wicket of their first innings centurion Dean Elgar.