Watch: Rohit Sharma celebrates after scoring his maiden Test hundred versus England
Rohit Sharma brought up his seventh Test hundred when he reached three figures against England in Chennai on Saturday. That was also his first ton in Tests against England and his fourth as a Test opener.
On a turning track where batting was tricky, Rohit Sharma took the attack to the opposition bowlers; his belligerent hitting ensured the visiting bowlers couldn't stick to a consistent line and length.
After the right-hander reached his hundred, doing so off 130 balls, the Indian team on the balcony rose in unison to applaud the efforts of the 33-year-old.
Here is a video of Rohit Sharma's celebration on reaching his hundred:
Rohit Sharma's hundred puts Team India in control of the second Test
After a crushing 227-run defeat in the first Test, the onus was on Team India to restore parity in the series. The hosts won a crucial toss in the second Test and opted to bat first. However, Team India suffered an early setback when in-form opener Shubman Gill departed in the second over without troubling the scorers.
That brought the experienced duo of Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara to the crease. While Pujara continued to play his role of wearing down the England bowlers, Rohit Sharma applied pressure on the opposition by playing his natural game.
Their 85-run partnership stabilised the Indian innings. However, the visitors struck twice in two overs, as the hosts lost Pujara and skipper Virat Kohli for a duck. However, embattled vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane brought a sense of calm to the Indian innings.
With a watchful Rahane at the other end, Rohit Sharma completed his hundred, while ensuring no wickets were lost in the second session.
The Mumbai duo brought up their 100-run partnership, and Rahane scored his first 50 in three Tests to put the pressure back on the opposition.
Rohit Sharma is looking good for a big hundred, while Ajinkya Rahane looks to be in for the long haul as well. Team India will hope to put up a good first-innings total on a pitch where the ball has turned on the first day, and batting last could be a pretty daunting proposition.