Indian captain Rohit Sharma was due for a huge score, and it couldn’t have come at a better moment for the hosts. Rohit Sharma made 131 runs on Day 1 of the third Test against England in Rajkot on Thursday, February 15.
Opting to bat first, India were in serious danger at 33/3, and despite their lack of experience, they needed their skipper to come up. Despite a quiet series with the bat thus far, Rohit hammered his 11th Test century at a critical juncture to keep his side alive.
Fans, including several past and current cricketers, rushed to X (previously Twitter) to congratulate Rohit Sharma on his amazing century despite the hosts losing three fast wickets. Here are a few reactions:
Why do we fall sir?
So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.
Rohit Sharma the man of comebacks. pic.twitter.com/kX7xUXCm3r— Ansh Shah (@asmemesss) February 15, 2024
Rohit went, attempting to smash a short delivery from Mark Wood into the stands, only to mistime it and go into the clutches of Ben Stokes at short square leg. With only 90 runs from four innings in the series heading into the Rajkot Test, this massive knock was precisely what India had anticipated from their skipper.
Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja rescue India from early collapse
At 33/3, India chose to elevate Ravindra Jadeja based on his expertise, and the choice paid off. The local youngster brought calm to the middle and dug deep alongside Rohit Sharma to bat out the remainder of the Test’s first session.
Rohit and Jadeja started pressuring England’s bowlers in the second session. They seized every chance to score runs. Jadeja played beautifully alongside Rohit, contributing to a remarkable 204-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Despite Rohit’s dismissal, Jadeja remains at the crease for India. There’s hope that young players like Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel can stick around. Their goal is to steer India towards a 400-run total.