After opting to bat, Rohit Sharma walked in with Mayank Agarwal to open India’s innings in the first Test against South Africa in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday (October 2).
And in his first Test innings as an opener, Rohit smashed a century to help India post 202/0 at stumps with rain preventing any play in the final session on Day 1.
Rohit was unbeaten on 115 – his fourth Test century – with 12 fours and five sixes. Mayank Agarwal also turned on the aggression, reaching 84 not out with the help of 11 fours and two sixes as South Africa failed to pick up a wicket in their 59.1 overs.
By scoring a ton, Rohit has become the first Indian to score a century each, across all formats, as an opener.
The only Indian opener to score a 💯 in:
ODIs ✅
T20Is ✅
And now,
Tests ✅Take a bow, @ImRo45 💙#OneFamily #CricketMeriJaan #INDvSA @BCCI pic.twitter.com/82pRhUqre2
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) October 2, 2019
Moreover, Rohit is now the eighth batsman in the world to score a century in Tests, ODIs and T20Is as an opener, after Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Ahmed Shehzad, Shane Watson, and Tamim Iqbal.
After the day’s play was cut short by rain, Rohit fronted the media and said that the opening slot suits him in all the formats as he does not like to wait.
“I think it suits my game,” the 33-year-old said.
“Just wear the pads and go in to bat. I don’t like the waiting game.
“You know the bowlers who are bowling with the new ball, so the game plan is easier for you. At number six, the ball is reversing, field placement is different, and you need to keep all those things in mind,” he added.
