NEW DELHI: By going again to his opening place within the Boxing Day Take a look at in opposition to Australia on the MCG beginning Thursday, India captain Rohit Sharma can be hoping to strike kind with the bat.
Rohit, who has hit a horror patch of kind, has simply 19 runs from the 2 Exams he has performed at Adelaide and Brisbane on this sequence.
Rohit is but to hit 100 in Australia together with his highest rating being an unbeaten 63 and that got here within the Boxing Day Take a look at in December 2018. Rohit has scored most of his Take a look at runs as an opener and can be wanting to attract some inspiration from then.
However statistics present that no Indian opener, other than Virender Sehwag, has scored 100 in opposition to Australia at this venue within the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The rivalry between the 2 nations was rechristened in 1996 with the primary tour Down Below coming three years later.
Sehwag could have hit two triple tons of in his Take a look at profession however his 195 on the MCG within the 2003-04 is one in every of his greatest knocks.
With a attract Brisbane and victory in Adelaide, India have been within the lead and the Aussies have been determined for a win. The third Take a look at on the MCG bought underway with Sourav Ganguly successful the toss and opting to bat. After which Sehwag lower unfastened.
Sehwag had an ideal opening associate in Aakash Chopra, who was an opener of the normal mould seeking to see off the brand new ball and collectively the Delhi duo put up a 141-run stand.
Getting hit twice on the helmet by bouncers off Brett Lee, did not deter Sehwag one bit. His punches off the again foot by way of the covers, his clear hits down the bottom and his flicks by way of mid-wicket bore the stamp of an onslaught of an opener seeking to make an announcement.
Sehwag’s stroke play that day had all of the trademark photographs, particularly his hits by way of the covers together with his toes completely nowhere close to the ball. However the bat was so completely positioned that the ball raced by way of the infield of the MCG that was present process renovation at the moment. Sehwag bought to his fifty off 78 balls and reached his fifth Take a look at century off 144 deliveries with a flick by way of mid-wicket. It was his fourth Take a look at hundred as an opener.
Having reached his 150 off 200 balls, Sehwag appeared set for his maiden double ton until Aussie part-time bowler Simon Katich tossed a juicy full toss on the middle-stump. Sehwag’s eyes lit up: likelihood to get to a maiden 200 with a six. He swung his willow however barely mistimed it and the ball went straight to Nathan Bracken who was stationed at deep mid-wicket.
Sehwag’s 195-run onslaught got here off 233 deliveries and was studded with 5 sixes and 25 fours. In trademark model, Sehwag later mentioned that he would play the identical shot once more no matter the rating he is perhaps on.
The following greatest opening stand by an Indian pair on the MCG is between Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay who put up 55 runs in December 2014 and the match resulted in a draw.
In December 2018, Mayank Agarwal and Hanuma Vihari put up a 40-run opening stand within the first innings and a 28-run partnership within the second essay as India defeated Australia by 137 runs.
This is similar match by which Rohit scored an unbeaten 63 batting at No. 6 within the first innings enabling India to declare at 443/7 earlier than Jasprit Bumrah unleashed his magic by taking 9 wickets within the match.
