What is Rohit Sharma's record against New Zealand in Test cricket?
Rohit Sharma-led Team India beat Bangladesh 2-0 in the two-match Test series played at home in September-October. Their next assignment as part of the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) will be a three-match home Test series against New Zealand.
India and the Kiwis will clash in the first Test of the series at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru from October 16 to 20. The second Test of the series will be played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune from October 24 to 28. The series will conclude with the third and final Test at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai from November 1 to 5.
Having struggled with the bat in the two-match series against Bangladesh, captain Rohit will be keen to get some runs against the Kiwis. Looking at the right-handed batter's Test record against New Zealand, the 37-year-old has played six matches (11 innings) in which he has scored 424 runs at an average of 53, with four fifties.
Rohit scored 72 in his first Test innings against New Zealand in Auckland in February 2014. He also scored an unbeaten 68 in Kanpur in September 2016. The experienced batter's highest Test score against the Kiwis so far is 82, which was registered at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in September 2016. He also scored an unbeaten 51 against the Kiwis in Indore in October 2016.
Of his six Tests against New Zealand, Rohit has played three at home in which he has scored 238 runs, averaging a healthy 79.33, with the aid of three half-centuries. In two away Tests against the Kiwis, the Indian batter has notched up 122 runs at an average of 40.66, with one half-century to his name.
The one Test that Rohit played against New Zealand at a neutral venue was the 2021 World Test Championship final in Southampton. He was dismissed for 34 and 30 and India lost the championship match by eight wickets.
What is Rohit Sharma's record in the ongoing WTC?
The opening batter may have struggled in the two-match Test series against Bangladesh. However, he is still India's second-leading run-getter in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle.
In 11 matches (20 innings) in WTC 2023-25, the Indian captain has scored 742 runs at an average of 39.05, with the aid of three hundreds and three fifties. His best of 131 came against England in Rajkot in February 2024. The 37-year-old also scored 103 against West Indies in Roseau in July 2023 and 103 versus England in Dharamsala in March this year.