Rohit Sharma rebounded from a slow start to score 73 in the second ODI vs Australia, surpassing Sourav Ganguly to become India’s third-highest ODI run-scorer.
Rohit Sharma recently achieved a major milestone by surpassing Sourav Ganguly to become India’s third-highest run-scorer in One Day Internationals (ODIs). This happened during the second ODI against Australia at the Adelaide Oval, where Rohit scored a composed 73 runs off 97 balls. With this innings, Rohit surpassed Ganguly’s record of 11,221 runs and now stands third behind Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli in India’s all-time ODI run-scorers list.
Rohit also became the first Indian batter to score over 1,000 ODI runs on Australian soil. Throughout his career, Rohit has scored 11,249 runs in 275 ODIs at an average of 48.69, including 32 centuries and 59 fifties. His innings featured trademark power shots, including two massive sixes off Mitchell Owen. Unfortunately, Rohit was denied a memorable century as he was dismissed by Mitchell Starc. The Australian pacer appeared quite amazed at his luck in getting Rohit out.
This milestone further cements Rohit Sharma’s legacy as one of India’s greatest ODI batsmen, surpassing iconic players like Ganguly and Adam Gilchrist in various batting records, especially as an opener. The achievement came despite a cautious start and challenging conditions, showcasing his skill and adaptability.
Post-match reactions after the second ODI between India and Australia at Adelaide highlighted mixed emotions from key players:
Rohit Sharma: Rohit was visibly frustrated after getting out for 73 runs off 97 balls, just short of a memorable century. He started slow but showed determination to hold one end on a tricky pitch with movement and bounce. Despite the dismissal, he earned praise from fans and former players for grinding through difficult conditions and anchoring the innings. Rohit’s slow fifty, his slowest in 10 years, came with well-timed boundaries and sixes, but he was clearly disappointed to miss the century mark.
Mitchell Starc: Starc took Rohit’s wicket with a short-pitched delivery that Rohit attempted to pull but got a top edge to the fine leg fielder. Starc appeared quite amused at his luck in dismissing Rohit, smiling and even mocking Rohit’s favorite pull shot while celebrating. Starc’s dismissal broke a crucial 118-run partnership between Rohit and Shreyas Iyer, turning the game’s momentum towards Australia.
Indian Players & Analysts: Indian players like Shreyas Iyer supported Rohit through their partnership that steadied India’s innings after early wickets. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri, commentating on the match, said Rohit would be “gutted” by missing the century despite his valuable contribution. Fans and pundits praised Rohit’s resilience and noted the challenging Australian conditions that made batting difficult.
In summary, the reactions reflect respect for Rohit Sharma’s battling innings, amusement and relief from Starc on getting a prized wicket, and acknowledgment from the Indian team of Rohit’s vital role in posting a competitive total.
