Rohit Sharma Has a Chance to Script Cricketing History in Third ODI Against Australia

Rohit Sharma has amassed 11,249 ODI runs from 267 innings at a 48.69 average, including three double centuries, 29 hundreds, and 59 fifties.

Rohit Sharma Has a Chance to Script Cricketing History in Third ODI Against Australia

Rohit Sharma could surpass Shahid Afridi's record for the most sixes in ODIs. (via Crictracker)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Veteran Indian opener Rohit Sharma is just a mark away from creating history in ODIs, ahead of the third and final match against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Should he hit six more maximums in his next One-Day innings, Sharma would script international cricket history. 

After getting dismissed for just eight runs in the opening ODI in Perth, Rohit Sharma made an impressive comeback in the second ODI in Adelaide. The 38-year-old had a go at his critics with a spectacular half-century, the 59th of his ODI career, playing a conscious knock under immense pressure. He scored a much-needed 73 runs off 97 balls, hitting seven boundaries and two sixes, at a strike-rate of 75.26. 

Rohit Sharma was supported on the other end by vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, who contributed with a 61-run knock off 77 deliveries, as the duo forged a 118-run partnership for the third wicket. Courtesy of their innings, the Men in Blue were able to post a respectable first innings total of 264/9, in their 50 overs. However, the 265-run target was not enough for the resilient Australian side, as they chased it down in 46.2 overs, with two wickets in hand.

The defeat to Australia meant that Sharma’s effort, after his much-awaited return to international cricket in seven months, came in a losing cause. However, he etched closer to a unique record and is at an arm’s distance from Shahid Afridi’s six-hitting record in ODIs. The 38-year-old is in second place behind the Pakistan all-rounder’s tally of 351 sixes, with Sharma having hit 346 sixes so far.

He did become the first Asian player to hit 150 sixes in ODIs played in SENA countries, and is only the second batter after Chris Gayle to do so. A serial six-hitter across all the three formats, Sharma already remains on top of the list of players with the most maximums in international cricket in Tests, ODIs and T20Is combined, with an unbelievable 639 sixes in 501 matches so far.

Apart from the sixes records, Sharma also became the first Indian to score over 1,000 runs against Australia in ODIs in the country itself. To complete his record-breaking spree, he overtook legendary captain Sourav Ganguly to occupy the third-place on the all-time ODI run-getters list for India.

Gautam Gambhir takes sarcastic dig at Rohit Sharma following Adelaide defeat, jokes about retirement

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir teased veteran opener Rohit Sharma, after the latter’s display for the Men in Blue against Australia in the second ODI of the ongoing series. Gambhir made a sarcastic remark about the retirement buzz that surrounded the 38-year-old batting stalwart. 

Rohit Sharma Gautam Gambhir
Rohit Sharma was teased by Gautam Gambhir over retirement rumors. (via NDTV Sports)

Sharma’s future with the Indian team setup remains in doubt, given the fact that he has already retired from Tests and T20Is. To compound the uncertainty surrounding his future, he was also removed as India’s ODI captain, with Shubman Gill replacing him in the role. All of this suggests that the veteran opener might be nearing the dawn of his playing career, having served Indian cricket for the last 15 years.

Sharma’s brilliant 73-run innings in the second ODI against Australia in Adelaide suggested that there is still a lot left in him. At the end of the Adelaide ODI, he was teased by head coach Gautam Gambhir with a ‘retirement remark’, with the video of the incident going viral on social media. Gambhir told Rohit Sharma to post a picture of himself, as fans believe that the Australia tour might be his farewell outing. 

Rohit, sabko lag rha tha ki aaj farewell match thha, ek photo to lagaa do [Rohit, everyone thought today was your farewell match, at least post a photo].

Rumors had emerged that the three ODIs against Australia might be Sharma and Virat Kohli’s last international outing, despite the BCCI or the two players making no such indications. The duo have, however, been urged to play domestic cricket to remain in contention for a place in the Indian team.

Also Read: