India vs South Africa 2019: 6 records Rohit Sharma broke in the Test series
India needed only 12 balls on Day 4 to complete the formalities in Ranchi and inflict a 3-0 whitewash on a hapless South African side. The Proteas resumed at 132 for 8, following-on in the second innings, and debutant Shahbaz Nadeem picked up both the remaining wickets as India emerged triumphant in the final Test by an innings and 202 runs.
New Indian opener Rohit Sharma was one of the star performers of the series for India. Across the three Tests, he totalled 529 runs at an average of 132.25, with three hundreds (including a double century) and a best of 212.
For his fabulous performance, Rohit, who was not even a certainty in the starting XI going into the Test series against the Proteas, was declared both Man of the Match and Man of the Series. Along the way, Rohit rewrote the history books and here we take a look at six records that the Indian opener broke during the three Tests against South Africa.
#1. Better than Don at home?
Following his maiden double ton at Ranchi, Rohit became the batsman with the highest Test average at home, overtaking Don Bradman. After his 212-run knock which featured 28 fours and six sixes, Rohit’s average at home rose to 99.84. Bradman, on the other hand, averaged 98.22 in home Tests.
#2. Most sixes in 2019
When Rohit hit Dane Piedt for the third six of his innings at Ranchi during the course of his double hundred, he overtook England all-rounder Ben Stokes (15) to become the batsman with highest number of sixes in 2019.
#3. Most sixes in a bilateral Test series
With the six against Piedt, Rohit also broke the world record for the highest number of sixes by a batsman in a bilateral Test series. Rohit bettered Shimron Hetmyer's tally of 15 sixes (against Bangladesh in 2018-19).
#4. Most sixes in a Test match
During the Visakhapatnam game, Rohit broke twin records - most sixes in a Test match and most sixes by an Indian in a Test match. He hit 13 sixes to break Wasim Akram’s record of 12 which was set during his unbeaten 257 against Zimbabwe at Sheikhupura in October 1996.
When Rohit slammed his ninth six of the Test, he went past Navjot Singh Sidhu’s record for most sixes by an Indian in a Test match. In 1994, Sidhu hit eight sixes in the Lucknow Test against Sri Lanka.
#5. First batsman to score two hundreds in maiden Test as opener
With his twin hundreds at Visakhapatnam, Rohit became the first batsman in history to score a hundred in both innings of their maiden Test as an opener. Rohit made 176 in the first innings of the first Test, and followed it up with 127 in the second.
#6. Most runs while opening the innings for the first time in Tests
During the course of his twin centuries at Visakhapatnam, Rohit also surpassed Kepler Wessels to become the batsman with the most runs while opening for the first time in Test cricket.
Wessels compiled 208 runs for Australia against England in 1982-83 while Rohit made 303 runs in the first Test against South Africa.
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