Netizens went wild after Rohit Sharma became the eighth Indian batter to complete 10,000 runs in international cricket in Asia. The India skipper's milestone came against Australia in the third ODI on Wednesday.
https://twitter.com/agovind125/status/1638546568545734656
Rohit Sharma- 30 (17)
Virat Kohli- 54 (72)These two knocks should be shown to the upcoming youngster to understand the difference between impact and statpadding.
— Jyran (@Jyran45) March 22, 2023
It was a brilliant inning from skipper Rohit Sharma 🐐 pic.twitter.com/Q5kIWoAvre
— Sir BoiesX 🕯 (@BoiesX45) March 22, 2023
When Rohit Sharma was at the crease
India- 65 Runs 54 ballsAfter Rohit's dismissal
India- 65 Runs 102 ballsRohit's impact is unreal man 😮
The GOAT for a reason @ImRo45 🛐— Jyran (@Jyran45) March 22, 2023
After winning the toss, the visitors opted to bat and posted 269 on the board in their allocated 50 overs. Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav were the picks of the bowlers for India, grabbing three Australian wickets each at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
In reply, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill opened the batting for India. The Nagpur-born cricketer looked in great touch, firing on all cylinders during the early part of India's run chase.
Rohit Sharma smashed two sixes and an equal number of boundaries in his 17-ball 30-run cameo before getting out to Sean Abbott. However, before being dismissed, the 35-year-old scripted history as he joined an elite list comprising the likes of Virat Kohli and the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
Also part of the exclusive club is current India head coach Rahul Dravid, former explosive opener Virender Sehwag, 2011 World Cup-winning captain MS Dhoni, and former skippers Mohammad Azharuddin and Sourav Ganguly.
Rohit Sharma has scored 10,026 runs in 247 international games in Asia. The senior India batter averages 44.16 in Asia.
Speaking about Rohit Sharma's stats in ODIs, he has amassed 9,824 runs in 243 50-over matches for India. Called the Hitman by Indian fans, Rohit Sharma has hit 30 tons and 48 fifties for the national team in ODIs.
Rohit Sharma remains the only player to notch up three ODI double-centuries and score over 250 (264) runs in a 50-over contest.
However, Rohit Sharma's landmark didn't inspire other Team India batters to their team across the finishing line as the home side lost the match by 21 runs and the series 2-1.
Virat Kohli was the lone batter from the two teams to score a half-century in the game. But once he got out, the Australians found a foot in the door and quickly capitalized on the opportunity. Immediately after Virat Kohli's wicket, Suryakumar Yadav got out, dismissed for a third consecutive golden duck.
Though Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja combined for a 33-run partnership, bringing the target down to 52, they fell quickly, attempting big shots as the asking rate rose considerably.
Moments later, the Rohit Sharma-led side got bowled out for 248, and with that, India suffered a rare ODI series defeat at home.
After India's series loss, Rohit Sharma slammed his batters for not applying themselves on the pitch before calling it a “collective failure”.
“I don't think it was too many runs. The wicket was a little challenging towards the second half. I don't think we batted well. Partnerships are crucial, and we failed to do that today. The mode of dismissals… you are born and brought up on these wickets. Sometimes you need to apply yourself, and give yourself a chance. It was important for one batter to carry on and take the game deep. But all of us were trying our best; it just didn't happen. The nine ODIs we have played since January, we can take a lot of positives from that. It is a collective failure. In five months' time, we'll be playing in these conditions. You've got to give credit to the Australians as well,” Rohit Sharma said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
Earlier, Rohit Sharma had acknowledged that it would be challenging for his team to emerge victorious against Australia in the decider.
“We were looking to field first. If at all there will be help for the bowlers and we are playing three spinners, in these dry conditions hopefully we can maximise our spin options. It's an important game and the deciders are always interesting. It's always good to put us in this situation. It's a challenge for us to come back and play some good cricket under pressure. Hopefully we can put our best foot forward. Australia are a good team and you can always test your depth. We are playing with the same team. We were thinking of playing with four seamers but the conditions here are suitable for the spinners, so we go with three spinners,” Rohit Sharma said at the toss.
On the other hand, Australia's Adam Zampa was named the Player of the Match for his figures 4/45. He was happy with his performance and credited his spin partner Ashton Agar for putting pressure on the Indians.
“I have had some success here. It is a tough place to come; always a huge challenge. I have had some reward… Ashton Agar changed the game. I don't think I deserve this tonight. Kudos to the guys who bowled before me as well. We had trust in each other, in our process and in our game plan,” Adam Zampa told broadcasters Star Sports.
Mitchell Marsh picked up the Player of the Series award. He made 194 runs in the three matches, with the help of scores of 81, unbeaten 66, and 47.
“It is just natural aggression when I'm batting. Growing up at the WACA… I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I was really glad that I could come in and perform. I'm coming off an extended break. Sometimes in international cricket, you need time to do that. I have come fresh, and provided energy,” Mitchell Marsh said.
Meanwhile, Steve Smith praised his team for their excellent display with both bat and ball, leading to their triumph in Tamil Nadu.
“It has been an enjoyable tour. The way we fought back after that (Delhi) Test match. It is just playing conditions for us. This wicket was different… I thought we left a few out there. It was just a really good performance. We continued taking wickets throughout… The way the tail stuck around and got us to 270; at one point, we weren't getting to 220,” Steve Smith concluded.
With the loss in Chennai, Australia’s tour to India concluded with both teams sharing exploits. While the hosts won the Test series 2-1 and retained the Border Gavaskar Trophy, the Kangaroos claimed the ODI series with the same margin after comfortably defeating India in the last two matches.
Follow Us
Subscribe