Rohit Sharma made a remarkable start to his role as an opener in the Indian Test side. On the first day of the ongoing Test between India and South Africa, Rohit announced himself with a century, scoring 176.
He partnered Mayank Agarwal for a brilliant 317-run stand for the opening wicket. In addition, Rohit also scored at an impressive strike-rate of 72.
The Mumbai batsman, who is a regular opener in the limited-overs format, is experimented for the opening role after Hanuma Vihari's impressive performances at number 6 closed doors for a comeback in the middle-order. However, with his performances in the first Test, Rohit has seemingly sealed the spot and ended the opening woes for Virat Kohli and co. for now.
During the second innings, the 32-year-old also broke the world record for the most number of sixes in a Test match. He achieved the feat after reaching his century. Earlier, Rohit also went past Navjot Singh Sidhu's long-standing record on home soil for most sixes in a Test match in India.
Rohit surpassed Pakistan's Wasim Akram for the record-breaking feat, who had hit 12 sixes in a Test against Zimbabwe in 1996.
He achieved the feat when he slammed Dane Piedt's delivery out of the park in the 20th over of the innings. This was his ninth six in the game. Sidhu had hit eight sixes against Sri Lanka in 1994. Mathew Hayden, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and Ajinkya Rahane follow the two with seven sixes.
With his feat, Rohit Sharma now has the most sixes by an Indian batsman in all the three formats. He holds the record in ODIs (16) and T20Is (10) as well.
Rohit continued on where he left in the first innings, as he made an aggressive start even as Mayank Agarwal was dismissed on 7. By the time this was written, the Mumbai batsman was batting at a strike rate of 73 as he reached 47 in 64 deliveries, hitting three fours and as many sixes.
