Indian skipper Rohit Sharma was under scrutiny heading into the third Test against England at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot.
The opener finally got the monkey off his back by breaking a 10-innings streak of going without a century in Tests, scoring a fluent and calculated 131 off 196 balls.
Bet here on India vs England and other matches!
His innings was worth its weight in gold as he forged a 204-run partnership for the 4th wicket with Ravindra Jadeja, rescuing India after they had been reduced to 33-3.
His previous century came in July 2023 against West Indies at Roseau. Heck, Rohit had not scored a half-century in eight innings, with his highest score being 39.
MORE: Rohit reluctant to field players who are not 'hungry' for Test cricket
How has Rohit Sharma performed in the 1st innings of a Test?
Rohit has been dominant in the first innings -- the last six times he has scored a hundred in Tests has been in India's first innings.
In fact, Rohit has scored more than two-thirds of his Test tally in the first innings of the team, which is a staggering proportion of his aggregate.
Of his 11 centuries in Tests, Rohit has scored 9 centuries in the first innings alone, which goes to show that he is a better batsman during the earlier phases of a Test match.
Rohit Sharma in India's 1st innings in Tests:
| Innings | Runs | Average | S.R. | 50s | 100s | HS |
| 56 | 2656 | 51.08 | 56.71 | 9 | 9 | 212 |
How has Rohit Sharma performed in the 2nd innings of a Test?
Rohit's record in the second innings in Tests pales in comparison.
His ratio of scoring 50 runs or more to the no. of innings is drastically higher when compared to 1st innings. (3.11 innings per 50+ score in 1st innings compared to 4.56 innings per 50+ score in 2nd innings).
The last time Rohit scored a century in India's second innings in a Test match was almost 30 months ago, in September 2021 at The Oval against England.
His only other century in the second innings came in 2019 against South Africa, when he scored 127 off 149 balls at Visakhapatnam.
While he has done well in the 2nd innings of a Test, his record in the final and 4th innings of a Test is his worst among all innings.
He scored a valuable 55 against England in the fourth Test in Ranchi as India sealed the series following a five-wicket win.
That was Rohit's second-ever fifty in the 4th innings of a Test match, and also his highest score in 4th innings.
Rohit Sharma in India's 2nd innings in Tests:
| Innings | Runs | Average | S.R. | 50s | 100s | HS |
| 44 | 1376 | 37.18 | 57.40 | 8 | 2 | 127 |
Rohit Sharma in 4th innings in Tests:
| Innings | Runs | Average | S.R. | 50s | 100s | HS |
| 18 | 454 | 32.43 | 53.34 | 2 | 0 | 55 |
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Learn more >