The opening day of the opening Test in the Freedom Trophy belonged to Rohit Sharma as he smashed an unbeaten century in his new role as an opener, wit India reaching 202/0 in the series curtain-raiser against South Africa in Vizag on Wednesday.
Rohit – a star of India’s limited-overs side – was at the crease on 115 with Mayank Agarwal on 84 after the hosts elected to bat in the first of the three Tests in Visakhapatnam.
A sudden thunder storm forced the umpires to call tea seven minutes early and no further play was possible after heavy rains lashed the coastal city.
Rohit completed his fourth Test century in the second session with a single off debutant spinner Senuran Muthusamy to raucous cheers from the home crowd and the dressing room. He hit five sixes and 12 fours from 174 balls and showed frequent glimpses of the form that has made him a feared one-day batsman.
Agarwal, like his opening partner, also used his feet to good effect against the South African spinners who struggled on the batting-friendly pitch.
Agarwal, playing his fifth Test since making his debut last year, raised his fourth half-century with a six off lead spinner Keshav Maharaj.
Both Rohit and Agarwal, who hit 11 fours and two sixes, took apart the opposition bowling in the second session of play as India scored 111 runs after taking lunch at 91-0.
Here are all the records set by the latest Indian opening pair on Wednesday:
India's first Test match at home after nearly one year.
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) October 2, 2019
The last was at Hyderabad against West Indies 12-14 Oct 2018.
Since then India's Test record (all away from home): Played 6, won 4, lost 1, drawn 1 (win% 66.67)#IndvSA #IndvsSA
India have won each of their last 10 home Test series’. #INDvsSA
— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) October 2, 2019
The last time India has had two players opening the innings having never previously opened in a home Test match was Sunil Gavaskar (first home Test) & Ramnath Parkar (debut) against England in 1972/73.#INDvSA
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) October 2, 2019
Virat Kohli's record after winning the toss
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) October 2, 2019
Tests 22*
Won 18
Lost 0
Draw 3
This is the eighth successive Test match in Asia in which SA has lost the toss. #INDvSA
Solid 50-stand between Mayank & Rohit!
— Victor Tarapore (@VictorTarapore) October 2, 2019
- 1st 50+ opening stand for IND after 9 intervening Test inns
- 1st 50-stand for this pair
- 13th partner Rohit's put on 50+ in a Test with
- 3rd successive 50+ opening stand in a Home Test for India#MakeStatsGreatAgain #INDvSA #INDvsSA
In his previous Test match at MCG - Rohit Sharma had made 63* but batting at #6#IndvSA #IndvsSA
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) October 2, 2019
A good start by Rohit, a Test 50!
— Victor Tarapore (@VictorTarapore) October 2, 2019
- 11th in Tests
- 1st against South Africa 🇿🇦 in Tests
- 6th in India 🇮🇳
- Only ONE of his past TWELVE 50+ Test scores have come in defeat for India
- Note: Home Test avg: 91.22 (when on 52*), away: 26.32#MakeStatsGreatAgain #INDvSA #Rohit
Rohit Sharma joined an elite club - only 4 batsmen have scored six consecutive 50-plus in Test matches in India.
— Arun Gopalakrishnan (@statanalyst) October 2, 2019
Everton Weekes
Andy Flower
Rahul Dravid
ROHIT SHARMA#INDvSA #FreedomTrophy @StarSportsIndia @StarSportsTamil
Scoring 50+ in maiden inngs both home & away (India)
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) October 2, 2019
Rusi Modi
Surinder Amarnath
Arun Lal
Sourav Ganguly
Suresh Raina
Hardik Pandya
Mayank Agarwal *#INDvSA
Rohit Sharma becomes the first Indian opener to hit four sixes in a Test innings before completing a century in this decade.#INDvSA
— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) October 2, 2019
Rohit Sharma becomes the first Indian player to score a century in each Tests, ODIs and T20Is as an opener.
— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) October 2, 2019
There is no substitute for talent.#INDvSA
Rohit Sharma:
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) October 2, 2019
Century on Test debut
Century on opening debut #IndvSA
Indians with a 100 while opening for the first time in Tests:
— Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) October 2, 2019
Shikhar Dhawan (187 v Aus, Mohali, 2013)
KL Rahul (110 v Aus, Sydney, 2015)
Prithvi Shaw (134 v WI, Rajkot, 2018)
Rohit Sharma (100* v SA, Visakhapatnam, 2019)#INDvSA
Highest average in home Tests (Min 10 matches)
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) October 2, 2019
98.22 Don Bradman
94.44 Rohit Sharma (81*)
77.56 'Black' Bradman
77.25 'Modern day' Bradman#INDvSA
200-plus opening stand in the maiden innings together for an Indian pair in Tests:
— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) October 2, 2019
Sehwag/Dravid v Pak, Lahore, 2005/06
Vijay/Dhawan v Aus, Mohali, 2012/13
Agarwal/R Sharma v SA, Vizag, 2019/20*#INDvSA
The 202* run opening stand is the SIXTH successive century opening stand India have converted to 150+
— Victor Tarapore (@VictorTarapore) October 2, 2019
✅202* v SA, 2019
✅168 v AFG, 2018
✅166 v SL, 2017
✅188 v SL, 2017
✅152 v ENG, 2016
✅283 v BAN, 2015#MakeStatsGreatAgain #INDvSA #SAvIND
The 202* opening stand is currently the 11th best for India in Tests.
— Victor Tarapore (@VictorTarapore) October 2, 2019
Check out the entire list!#MakeStatsGreatAgain #INDvSA #SAvIND #Rohit #Mayank pic.twitter.com/3EvnHXnMVc
[Inputs from AFP]