London, July 19: Rohit Sharma produced a captain’s knock for the ages, becoming the first Indian batter to score an ODI century at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground during the third ODI against England on Sunday.
The 39-year-old opener silenced doubts over his future with a superb innings, reaching his 34th ODI century with a boundary off Adil Rashid in the 31st over. The landmark knock came amid speculation about his place in the Indian team and possible retirement, but Rohit responded in emphatic fashion with the bat.
The century also strengthened Rohit’s exceptional record in England. He now holds the record for the most ODI centuries by a visiting batter in a single country, with eight hundreds in England. He surpassed several cricketing greats, including Sachin Tendulkar, Saeed Anwar, AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock, who each have seven ODI centuries in a visiting nation.
Overall, only England’s Joe Root, with 10 ODI hundreds at home, has scored more ODI centuries in England than Rohit. Former England opener Marcus Trescothick also has eight centuries in the country, placing Rohit alongside him on the all-time list.
Rohit’s milestone innings not only etched his name into the Lord’s record books but also reaffirmed his status as one of the greatest ODI batters of his generation. The historic hundred gave India a major boost in the series while serving as a fitting answer to critics questioning the veteran opener’s longevity at the international level.
