Rohit Sharma scored a timely century in the 5th ODI against South Africa, as the Hitman hit a lovely 118 to set India on their way to victory.
Advertisement
After a circumspect start, the Mumbai batsman started to click into gear, as Rohit showed us exactly why he is so highly rated in limited overs cricket. After scoring 118 runs in the entire tour so far, Rohit matched that total in a matter of two hours at Port Elizabeth.
It was Rohit’s 17th ODI ton and 15th as an opener, which put him in very esteemed company. The Mumbai batsman is now just behind Tendulkar and Ganguly in terms of centuries scored by an Indian opener in ODI cricket.
After the match, Rohit reflected on his innings and said that he was always confident of getting a big score at some point.
“We always, in our dressing room, we are always talking how we are batting and how we are playing the ball. Scores sometimes don’t reflect that at times, sometimes they do, but that doesn’t mean that suddenly you have become a bad player,” Rohit said.
“Because you have achieved so much, scored so many runs, 2-3 bad innings doesn’t change that. This is not just for me, but for all batsmen in the team, because such a situation does come that you are trying your hardest but things don’t come off.
“So at that point it is important that you relax and take a step back and think about what you need to do in the next game. Because every day is a new day and what you have done in the past. It is the same thing I am thinking right now. My hundred has gone now and the next game I play, the hundred I scored isn’t going to matter much.”
Rohit broke records along the way, as he went past Sachin Tendulkar’s number of 264 sixes, to become the 2nd highest Indian six-hitter in international cricket. He only has MS Dhoni ahead of him with 338.
With time on his side, it seems only a matter of time before Rohit breaks this record!
