Similar to the Chennai Test two years ago, India captain Rohit Sharma has been India’s lone warrior in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener against Australia in Nagpur. While nightwatchman R Ashwin’s knock of 23 was the next best, Rohit has been a standout batter for India, reaching his ninth Test century off 171 deliveries on the second afternoon of the match and scripting a marvelous piece of history for India.
Rohit had begun on a high note after India defeated Australia for 177 on Day 1. At the end of the first day, his 56-run knock cut India’s deficit to 100. He maintained his momentum on the second morning, but regular dismissals at the other end prompted him to temper his aggression. On his 171st delivery, he reached the three-figure mark with a lofted shot over mid-off against Todd Murphy.
Since taking over as captain from Virat Kohli last year, this was his ninth Test century, eighth at home, and first since then. With that, he became the fourth player to score a century while serving as captain across all formats, joining Tillakaratne Dilshan, Faf du Plessis, and Babar Azam.
As captain of Team India, the 35-year-old has six centuries across all formats. Three of them were in ODIs, while the other two were in T20Is, making him the only Indian to accomplish this feat. This was also his 38th century as an opener across all formats, trailing only Sachin Tendulkar’s 45. Six of them have come in Test cricket, where he now ranks eighth among Indians.
In terms of the match, Murphy has been Australia’s best bowler, taking four of the five wickets while Nathan Lyon has only taken one. However, Rohit’s magnificent knock has been the difference between the two teams, as his century has helped India take a lead before tea on Day 2.
