India opener Rohit Sharma returned to form in style with a well-deserved century in the third ODI against England at Lord's in London on Sunday. Rohit got to his century in 84 balls, hitting 11 fours and four sixes.
Rohit's knock also comes at a time when there were reports that the ongoing ODI would be his last match for India. However, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia later dismissed those reports.
How Netizens reacted to Rohit Sharma's century
Fans were quick to praise Rohit Sharma's knock in the third ODI against England. Here are a few reactions:
Facing mounting scrutiny after a string of low scores and with India chasing a record target of 388, the veteran opener played with positive intent from the outset. Rohit reached his fifty in style, mixing precise drives with his trademark pull shots as he laid a solid foundation alongside skipper Shubman Gill.
The opening pair put together a century stand, ensuring India made the most of the powerplay despite the required run rate staying above nine an over. Rohit's aggressive approach helped shift the early pressure back onto England's bowlers and gave India hope of pulling off what would be one of their highest successful ODI run chases.
His composed knock came when India needed an experienced player to lead the chase in a winner-takes-all contest. Prior to this match, Rohit had endured scores of 26 and 11 in his first two ODIs. Rohit also set a new benchmark after he became the first Indian man to score an ODI century at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground.
This is Rohit Sharma's 34th ODI century. Apart from 34 centuries, the 39-year-old 32 fifties in the 50-over format.
Till date, the Mumbai batter has played 288 ODIs and has scored 11865 runs at an average of 49.03.
The innings also added another chapter to Rohit's remarkable record in England, where he has enjoyed considerable success throughout his ODI career. His ability to adapt to English conditions was once again on display as he negotiated the new ball confidently before accelerating once he was set.
Rohit's timely return to form gave India early belief in the chase and underlined why he remains one of the team's most dependable performers in the 50-over format, especially when the stakes are at their highest.
At the time of updating this report, India were 217/1 from 32.5 overs while looking to chase down a target of 388. Earlier, Shubman Gill scored 77 runs before being dismissed by Adil Rashid in the 25th over.
England won the toss and opted to bat first. Ben Duckett top-scored with 141 runs, whereas Jacob Bethell (91) and Joe Root (74*) also played crucial knocks to take the hosts to 387/3.
