Rohit Sharma stamped his authority on World Cup 2019l
MANCHESTER: India’s vice-captain Rohit Sharma stamped his authority on World Cup 2019 when he hammered his second century of the tournament, in the key clash against arch-rivals Pakistan at Old Trafford at Manchester.
This was Rohit Sharma’s second century in World Cup 2019, after the 122 not out he scored against South Africa in India’s opener in the tournament. This was the star batsman’s 24th One-day International (ODI) century.
Rohit looked in sublime touch from the word go and brought up his third century in World Cups in vintage fashion. He got to his 100 in 85 balls, hitting nine fours and three sixes.
K.L. Rahul gave him good company at the other end before being dismissed. The pair, opening together for the first time, broke a 23-year-old record set by Sachin Tendulkar and Navjot Singh Sidhu for the highest opening partnership in a World Cup match against Pakistan.
Tendulkar and Sidhu had shared a 90-run stand for the opening wicket in the 1996 World Cup in Bengaluru. India went on to post 287 before winning the match by 37 runs.
Rohit and Rahul broke the record in the 16th over with the latter getting out on 57, spooning a Wahab Riaz fullish delivery to Babar Azam at covers.Rohit helped the duo get the landmark with a cut against leg-spinner Shadab Khan.The duo shared a 100-plus stand for the opening wicket, becoming, in the process, the first Indian pair to do so against Pakistan in a World Cup tie.
Rohit led the charge as he brought up his 50 in just 34 deliveries with the help of six fours and two sixes.In the absence of injured Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit allowed Rahul to settle down and played the aggressor’s role from the get-go.
The 32-year old was lucky to survive a run out chance in the 11th over when a hesitation between him and Rahul saw Rohit way out of his crease, as Shadab Khan did superbly well to pick up the ball one-hand but got the direction of the throw wrong.
Rahul, who got his fifty with a six off Shoaib Malik, looked in good touch once he saw off the initial phase. At the other end, for the 27-year-old Karnataka batsman it was always going to be a daunting task to fill into Dhawan’s shoes who is a pillar for Virat Kohli’s side at the top.
At the other end, there was no stopping Rohit as he continued his rich vein of form in the competition. Rohit got to his hundred by milking Shadab for a single.His wife, Ritika Sajdeh, was there in the stands to applaud him, a broad smile hugging her cheeks, as the dashing right-hander raised his bat.
Rohit also got past M.S. Dhoni for the most number of sixes by an Indian batsman in international cricket when he hit Hasan Ali over the deep fine-leg boundary in the sixth over. This is also only the fourth time a hundred-run partnership has been forged by India batsmen against arch-rivals Pakistan in World Cups.
Mohammad Kaif and Sachin Tendulkar became the first pair in the 2003 World Cup while Shikhar Dhawan-Virat Kohli and Virat Kohli-Suresh Raina did so in the 2015 World Cup.
Rohit, in his superb form this World Cup, has now joined an elite list of cricketers, becoming only the fourth player to aggregate 2,000 runs in One-Day Internationals against Australia in India’s last game after their tie against New Zealand was washed off.
Asked to bat first after Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed won the toss, Rohit Sharma took the attack by the scruff of the neck and scored on all sides of the ground as his opening partner, KL Rahul, who is replacing the injured Shikhar Dhawan as opener, took time to settle down. Rohit Sharma had a couple of close shaves when he could have been run out, but kept ticking off the runs as India looked set for a big score. (With Agency Inputs ).
