On Thursday, February 15, Team India captain Rohit Sharma holed out to his opposition Ben Stokes after scoring a stunning century in the third Test in Rajkot.
Rohit Sharma batted with tremendous desire to help the team recover from 33/3 after deciding to bat first. He found an able partner in Ravindra Jadeja, and the two contributed 204 runs for the fourth wicket.
The Indian captain took a cautious approach, refusing to play his favourite hook shot despite being enticed by Mark Wood’s short deliveries. He was finally defeated by a bouncer, a ruse that Ben Stokes and Wood kept up for a long time.
Rohit Sharma aimed for a pull shot when the swift pacer sent the ball his way. But the speed was too quick, throwing Rohit off rhythm. Ultimately, Rohit’s shot ended up in the hands of Stokes at mid-wicket. England’s team was quite happy as their strategy had worked.
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Given the circumstances, Rohit Sharma delivered a high-quality knock. He hit 14 boundaries and three sixes for 131 runs off 196 balls.
The expulsion placed rookie Sarfaraz Khan in the middle, beside Ravindra Jadeja, who is in fine form.
“He did everything right” – Anil Kumble praises Rohit Sharma
Anil Kumble, ex-coach of India, lauded Rohit Sharma after his excellent performance on the first day of Test 3. Kumble, famous for his leg spin, admired how India’s captain handled Mark Wood’s tough bowling, and then made the most of it.
“He was stepping out and looking to go over the top. He did everything right, he rode the tough phase against Mark Wood. England had set a plan for Mark Wood with three fielders on the ropes so obviously Rohit did not take the bait of going for the hook. So he had to ride that over off and there was one ball that was really steep and hit him on the helmet.”
Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble added:
“But he was brilliant with handling all the bowlers,” he continued. “Even the spinners, I thought he did really well. He made that mistake of going across but immediately corrected that in the next over when he stepped out and hit Hartley over his head. He has read the surface well, he’s read the balls well and understands what the bowlers are doing.”
Anil Kumble