5 interesting stats from Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill’s second half-century opening stand in the SCG Test
After being set an improbable target of 407 runs to win the SCG Test, Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill got the visitors off to an impressive start for the second time in the Test.
The duo added 71 runs in 22.1 overs before the stand was broken when Shubman Gill was dismissed for 31.
The young opener lost his wicket after poking at one outside off stump from Josh Hazlewood. The ball pitched on off and straightened slightly, enough to find the outside edge of Gill’s bat. Rohit Sharma was then dismissed for 52 by Pat Cummins.
Earlier, in the first innings, the opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill added 70 runs for the first wicket in 27 overs. On that occasion as well, Hazlewood had broken the stand, inducing an uppish push from Rohit Sharma (26) that was chipped straight back to the bowler
Top 5 stats from Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill’s stand
Following their second 50-run opening stand in the ongoing SCG Test, a number of interesting stats have come to the fore. Let us have a look at five of them.
#1 First 50+ opening partnership in 15 years for India in the fourth innings of an 'away' Test
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill’s stand of 71 runs marked the first instance of a 50+ opening partnership for India in the fourth innings of an away Test in 15 years.
The last Indian opening pair to do so was Wasim Jaffer and Virender Sehwag, who added 109 runs against West Indies in Basseterre in 2006.
#2 First time in 15 years Indian openers put up 50-run opening stands in the second and fourth innings of an 'away' Test
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill's 71-run opening stand in the SCG Test marked the first time in 15 years Indian openers registered 50-run stands for the first wicket in the second and fourth innings of an away Test.
The last pair to do so was also Jaffer and Sehwag, who had partnerships of 61 and 109 against West Indies in the 2006 Basseterre Test.
#3 Indian openers register 50-run opening partnerships in both innings of a Test outside Asia for only the second time in 11 years
Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma's second 50-run stand in the ongoing SCG Test marked only the second such instance of Indian openers doing so in an away Test in 11 years.
It is the eighth time India have had two 50+ opening partnerships in a Test outside Asia. The last such stand came at Trent Bridge in 2018 when Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul put on 60-run stands in both innings.
#4 India's openers last more than 20 overs in each innings of a Test for the first time in 16 years
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill’s 71-run stand marked the first occasion since 2004-05 that Indian openers batted more than 20 overs in each innings of a Test match home or away.
The last such instance occurred when Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir batted for 23.2 overs in the first innings and 23.4 overs in the second innings against Pakistan in Bengaluru in 2004.
#5 Indian openers survive 15 overs in the fourth innings of a Test outside the subcontinent for the first time in 13 years
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are the first Indian opening pair in 13 years to survive 15 or more overs in the fourth innings of a Test outside the subcontinent.
The last Indian pair to do so was Wasim Jaffer and Rahul Dravid who lasted 15.3 overs for an opening stand of 26 runs in the 2007 Test in Melbourne.
The visitors, however, ended up losing that Test match by a whopping margin of 337 runs, which doesn't augur well for their prospects of saving the ongoing SCG Test.