"A lot of things were at stake" - Parthiv Patel lauds Rohit Sharma's century in 3rd IND vs ENG Test
Parthiv Patel has lauded Rohit Sharma for playing a responsible knock on the first day of the third Test between India and England.
Rohit scored 131 runs off 196 deliveries as India posted 326/5 in their first innings after opting to bat first in Rajkot on Thursday, February 15. Ravindra Jadeja (110*) and Sarfaraz Khan (62) were the Indian batters to make substantial contributions.
During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, Parthiv praised Rohit for raising his game at a crucial juncture.
"A lot of things were at stake. The series is standing at one all and England have challenged India every time. The most important thing is that Rohit Sharma was himself feeling that he was not converting his starts to big knocks after getting set," he elaborated.
The former India wicketkeeper-batter noted that the opener paced his innings perfectly.
"You got to see him doing that here. We didn't get to see too many big shots. When it was required, then only he played the big shots. Then, as soon as he played a big shot, he rotated the strike," Parthiv added.
Parthiv particularly appreciated Rohit for refraining from playing the pull shot in the air virtually throughout his innings. He added that the Indian skipper was dismissed probably on the first occasion he tried to play a lofted pull.
"When you have two debutants and almost your entire middle order is inexperienced, someone has to raise his hand" - Parthiv Patel praises Rohit Sharma
![Rohit Sharma struck 14 fours and three sixes during his innings. [P/C: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/02/bafa8-17080016068478-1920.jpg?w=500)
Parthiv Patel observed that Rohit Sharma needed to bat responsibly, considering that India had an extremely inexperienced middle order.
"You might see most of his runs on the leg side. The big reason for that is the bowling was also mostly there. So we got to see most of the strike rotation on the leg side. When have two debutants and almost your entire middle order is inexperienced, someone has to raise his hand," he stated.
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Rohit had to lead by example after India were in a precarious situation at one stage.
"Your eyes go towards the most experienced player or your captain in such a scenario. We saw him showing the path to the team in the World Cup as well and here also he played a good knock after they were around 35/3," Parthiv stated.
India were reduced to 33/3 when Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Rajat Patidar were dismissed cheaply. Rohit and Ravindra Jadeja stitched together a 204-run partnership for the fourth wicket, which was the first century stand for the hosts in the series.