Rohit Sharma on Saturday became the first Indian to reach the three-figure mark in the ongoing year as he scored his seventh Test hundred against England on Day 1 of the second Test in Chennai. In a knock comprising 14 fours and a six, Rohit reached his 100 in the 42nd over bowled by Moeen Ali.
With his brilliant ton, Rohit also put India in a commanding position on a turning Chepauk wicket. Interestingly, this was Rohit's first century after almost 15 months. He is currently sitting second in the list of most hundreds by a player in home conditions without scoring a ton on away soil.
Rohit got off to a solid start with a boundary through the extra cover before his opening partner Shubman Gill was dismissed on duck in the second over of the innings. Bolstering India's run-flow, Rohit stuck in the middle and reached his half-century before lunch in 49 deliveries. At lunch, Rohit was batting on 80 with vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane.
After his double century against South Africa back in October 2019, Rohit had failed to score a hefty knock. A hamstring injury and coronavirus hiatus also kept the Hitman away from the game. Since making his red-ball return with the third Test in Australia in Sydney, Rohit made 26, 52, 44, 7, 6, and 12 for a total of 147 at an average of 24.50. He was also criticised for throwing his wicket away and not taking responsibility in the middle.
Rohit, however, silenced his critics with a brawny knock against England. His ton also left the cricketing world in awe as many former players and fans heaped praise on the opener.
Here's how Twitter reacted to Rohit's batting show at Chepauk:
