Rohit Sharma silences critics with historic Lord's ton, becomes 1st Indian to score ODI century at iconic venue
London, July 19
Amid speculation of retirement from ODI cricket, India's batting heavyweight Rohit Sharma etched his name in the record books as he became the first Indian to score an ODI century at Lord's.
One of the most elegant white ball strikers, Sharma achieved this feat during India's third ODI against England on Sunday. Rohit responded in the best possible fashion, producing a memorable innings on one of cricket's grandest stages.
At 39 years and 80 days, Sharma became the oldest batter to score an ODI century at Lord's and the oldest Indian to register an international century at the iconic venue across all formats. He surpassed legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
Sharma now holds the record for the most ODI centuries by a visiting batter in a single country, with eight hundreds in England. His tally is matched only by England's Joe Root (10) and Marcus Trescothick (8) for the most ODI centuries scored in England overall.
The innings gained extra significance as India faced a challenging chase after England posted a massive 387/3 in their first inning.
Earlier, Ben Duckett produced a sensational 141 and combined with Jacob Bethell, who scored 91, to forge a record 192-run opening stand as England's batters dominated an inexperienced Indian pace attack in the absence of injured spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. Facing a daunting chase and intense scrutiny, Rohit Sharma responded emphatically with a historic century that kept India's hopes alive and etched his name into Lord's history as the first Indian batter to score an ODI hundred at the iconic venue.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I've said it before and I'll say it again: form is temporary, class is permanent. Rohit has been under so much pressure lately, and he just delivers when it matters most. Becoming the first Indian to score an ODI hundred at Lord's at 39? That takes special mental strength. Sachin never managed this, which shows how incredible this feat is.
Great innings, no doubt, but I wish our bowling attack wasn't so inexperienced. 387 is a massive total. We can't keep relying on one or two batsmen to bail us out every time. Bumrah's absence was felt badly. Rohit deserves all the praise, but our team balance needs serious work if we want to compete consistently.
I was at Lord's watching this live! The atmosphere was electric when Rohit reached his century. Every Indian fan in the stadium was on their feet. He proved all the doubters wrong. At 39, he's showing that age is just a number. Ben Duckett played brilliantly too, but Rohit's innings was something else entirely. 🇮🇳❤️
As an England fan, I have to say this was a phenomenal innings. Rohit Sharma is one of the most elegant batsmen to watch when he's in full flow. That cover drive through the off side was just classic. Lord's has seen many great knocks, but this one from an Indian batter at this stage of his career is special. Respect from London.
I'll admit, I had doubts about Rohit after the T20 WC retirement announcement. But this innings
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