English
India opener Rohit Sharma continues to impress with skill and composure in the longer format as he played a brilliant 83-run knock on the opening day of the second Test against England at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground on Thursday. Despite being in sublime form, Rohit missed out on a well-deserved hundred but managed to notch his highest overseas Test score when he got out for 83 to England pacer James Anderson in the 44th over of the first innings. (LIVE SCORE – 2nd Test IND vs ENG)
After defending well in the first hour, Rohit unleashed a flurry of boundaries to find his rhythm and knit a record 100-plus opening stand with KL Rahul in a rain-affected opening day. The 34-year-old fell agonizingly short of his maiden Test hundred outside India and 8th in the century after playing a near-perfect innings in difficult conditions at Lord’s.
Rohit now boasts an average of 40.50 as a Test opener in SENA countries. This is the second-highest average by an Indian opener after Rahul Dravid (minimum of 5 Tests) in SENA since the start of the 21st century.
The 126-run stand for the first wicket between Rohit and Rahul is India’s first-century opening stand in a Test match at Lord’s since 1952. Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy’s 106-run partnership vs England came 69 years ago. Here’s how the Twitter world responded to Rohit’s knock at Lord’s:-
#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #ENGvIND @thebharatarmy @ImRo45 pic.twitter.com/7GWio1z3gj
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) August 12, 2021
That was test match batting of the highest quality that too in testing conditions. Well played @ImRo45 #ENGvsIND pic.twitter.com/amZ5rBtHmR
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) August 12, 2021
If I am feeling so disappointed, I can just imagine what @ImRo45 must be feeling. It was such a superb effort and #rohit looked all set for a well deserved ton. #RohitSharma pic.twitter.com/KFcPSm8suJ
— R P Singh रुद्र प्रताप सिंह (@rpsingh) August 12, 2021
This is an appreciation tweet for Rohit Sharma, the Test opener.
He’s continued to prove a lot of doubters wrong.
— Nikhil (@CricCrazyNIKS) August 12, 2021
End of a very very good effort from @ImRo45 terrific ball to get him. Would have loved him to get the 100. Well played. #INDvENG
— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) August 12, 2021
@ImRo45 Love watching this guy bat! https://t.co/Mj009o0e5T
— Marizanne Kapp (@kappie777) August 12, 2021
This is also the fifth instance when the openers have survived 20+ overs in a Test outside Asia. They have also become only the third Indian opening pair to stitch a 100+ stand at Lord’s in Test cricket.
Earlier, England captain Joe Root won the Toss and invited India to bat first at the Lord’s. Indian opening pair of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma did well enough to blunt the English attack. The art of defending in bowler-friendly Test match conditions is not something one would have associated with Rohit even a few years back but here is a man obsessed about doing well in whites in all conditions.
Well played, #Rohit Sharma. Anna He scored Brilliant 83 runs from 145 balls including 11 Fours and 1 Six against England in the Lord’s. Outstanding innings from #hitman #INDvENG @ImRo45 @mipaltan pic.twitter.com/0M7m7nHzPN
— PawanKalyan (@KalyanPSPK1433) August 12, 2021
Brilliant #RohitSharma misses lifetime chance of scoring 100 at Lord’s!pic.twitter.com/c0exC1gCfj
— Sourabh Arora (@imsourabh11) August 12, 2021
Rohit looked ready to shed his ego that any talented batter with such a wide array of strokes would have, and just play the game his team needs him to play.
It was an enticing first hour but the Indian openers displayed impressive technique and, more than anything else, appreciable temperament, to tackle Anderson and Ollie Robinson’s testing new ball spells.
The five-match series is levelled at 0-0 after the rain-marred opener ended in a draw at Nottingham.
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