Sachin ends, Rohit begins
8 Nov 2013 5:51 AM IST
Rohit ended his six-year wait for a Test debut in great fashion, cracking a superb century under pressure to put India on top on the second day of the first Test against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens. Rohit (127*) stitched an unbroken 198-run stand for the seventh wicket with Ravichandran Ashwin (92*) to steer India to 354 for 6 after WI spinner Shane Shillingford (4/130) ripped through the top order to leave the home side tottering at
83 for 5.
After warming the bench for long, Rohit was primed to make his Test debut against South Africa in Nagpur in 2010. However, a freak injury suffered on the morning of the game forced him to make way for Bengal’s Wriddhiman Saha. He then had to wait for six long years during which he played 108 ODIs before he finally made his Test debut. But once he made the cut, the 26-year-old announced his arrival with a bang.
Rohit reached the three-figure mark in style with two back-to-back boundaries off another debutant Sheldon Cottrel to reach 102 in the 23rd over after tea. That milestone achieved, the young man raised his arms, pumped his fists, took off his helmet and waved his bat.
The hundred came in 239 minutes, as the stylish willower faced 194 balls, and unleashed a dozen fours and a solitary six off Shillingford.
Ashwin too played like a specialist batsman, crafting some fluent strokes, to finish the day eight short of his second hundred.
83 for 5.
After warming the bench for long, Rohit was primed to make his Test debut against South Africa in Nagpur in 2010. However, a freak injury suffered on the morning of the game forced him to make way for Bengal’s Wriddhiman Saha. He then had to wait for six long years during which he played 108 ODIs before he finally made his Test debut. But once he made the cut, the 26-year-old announced his arrival with a bang.
Rohit reached the three-figure mark in style with two back-to-back boundaries off another debutant Sheldon Cottrel to reach 102 in the 23rd over after tea. That milestone achieved, the young man raised his arms, pumped his fists, took off his helmet and waved his bat.
The hundred came in 239 minutes, as the stylish willower faced 194 balls, and unleashed a dozen fours and a solitary six off Shillingford.
Ashwin too played like a specialist batsman, crafting some fluent strokes, to finish the day eight short of his second hundred.
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