When was the last time Rohit Sharma batted at number 7 in an ODI?
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma made a surprising decision to demote himself to No. 7 in the first ODI against the West Indies at Barbados on Thursday, July 27. With the Men in Blue chasing a paltry 115 for victory, the 36-year-old allowed some of the less established batters a crack at the top of the order.
Although the veteran batter came in and finished the job with an unbeaten 12 off 19 deliveries, it raised curiosity among fans as to when Rohit Sharma last batted at the position in ODIs.
One has to go way back to early 2011 when the 36-year-olf last batted at No. in ODIs for India. It was the second game of the five-match series at Johannesburg in South Africa when Sharma came in at No. 7 and scored nine off 14 deliveries before being dismissed by Morne Morkel. Ironically, India emerged victorious in that game by a single run despite scoring only 190.
Another noteworthy point is the game right after that one, in Cape Town, was also Rohit Sharma's first-ever ODI game opening the batting for India. He also began his ODI career batting at No. 7 in his first couple of innings against South Africa and Australia in 2007.
It is worth remembering that Sharma batted at No. 9 against Bangladesh in the second ODI at Mirpur last year due to a thumb injury, scoring a brilliant 51* to almost pull off a miraculous chase.
However, until that Bangladesh game, Rohit Sharma has batted as a non-opener only once (No. 3 against Afghanistan in 2014) since becoming India's permanent ODI opener in 2013.
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Overall, the stylish batter has batted at No. 7 on eight occasions in ODIs with only 82 runs at a lowly average of 16.40. Sharma struggled in the initial stages of his limited-overs career, with his batting position constantly changing in the middle to lower middle order every other game.
As a non-opener, the Indian captain averages only 33.3 in 81 ODI innings, with only two centuries. In stark contrast, Sharma has scored a sensational 7,807 runs as an opening batter at a stellar average of 57.40, including 28 centuries and his highest score of 264 against Sri Lanka.
The veteran batter boasts several ODI records, including the highest-ever ODI score by a batter and the third most runs in a single edition of the 50-over World Cup (2019). Rohit Sharma is also the only batter in ODI with three double-centuries and is the lone batter with five centuries in a single World Cup.
India continue their domination over the West Indies with a thumping win in the 1st ODI
Team India demolished the West Indies in the first game of the three-match ODI series by five wickets at Barbados on the back of a spectacular bowling display. Winning the toss and fielding first, an incisive Indian bowling attack was all over the hosts' batting lineup right from the get-go.
The pacers, Mukesh Kumar, Shardul Thakur, and Hardik Pandya, picked up a wicket each before the spinners, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, wreaked havoc on the clueless West Indian batters.
Yadav picked up figures of 4/6 in just three overs, while Jadeja bagged three wickets in his six overs. The former was adjudged the Player of the Match as he bamboozled the hapless West Indian batters with his slow-left-arm chinaman deliveries.
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Although the overall head-to-head between India and West Indies remains tightly contested at 71-63 in favor of the Asian giants in the 50-over format, recent history showcases the glaring difference between the sides.
India have beaten the Caribbean side in nine consecutive ODIs and an incredible 12 straight bilateral ODI series between the teams. The last time the West Indians beat India in an ODI was in Chennai in 2019.
It goes much further, dating back to 2006, to find out the last time West Indies tasted victory against India in an ODI series. Legendary batter Brian Lara was their captain in that series, while India were led by their current coach Rahul Dravid.
The two teams are at opposite ends of the spectrum in 50-overs cricket, with India among the favorites in the upcoming World Cup at home and the West Indians failing to qualify for the showpiece for the first time in their coveted history.
The second ODI between the teams will be played at the same venue on Saturday, July 29.