Stats – Rohit Sharma breaks slew of records on way to maiden Test double-ton
He became the fifth India opener to amass 500-plus runs in a Test series
Bharath Seervi20-Oct-2019529 – Total runs scored by Rohit Sharma in the ongoing series against South Africa, which is the most by an India opener in a Test series since Virender Sehwag’s 544 against Pakistan in 2005. Rohit is the fifth India opener to amass 500-plus runs in a series. Sunil Gavaskar (five times), Vinoo Mankad and Budhi Kunderan are the other India openers to do so.
0 – Number of India batsmen to score more runs in a series than Rohit’s 529, having batted four or fewer innings in the series. The previous most is 491 by Sehwag against Sri Lanka in 2009-10. Rohit’s tally is now the fourth-highest by an India batsman in a three-match Test series.3 – Double-centurions for India in this series: Mayank Agarwal in Visakhapatnam, Virat Kohli in Pune and Rohit in Ranchi. This is the first time India have had more than two double-centurions in a Test series. There have been only four instances of three double-centurions in a series. The last instance was for England when India visited them in 2011 when Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen had scored double-hundreds.19 – Sixes for Rohit in this series, the most by a batsman in a Test series. The previous record was 15 by Shimron Hetmyer against Bangladesh last year. Before Rohit, the record by an India batsman was 14 by Harbhajan Singh against New Zealand in 2010-11. Rohit has also completed 50 sixes in his Test career. Of the 19 sixes, Rohit hit 11 off offspinner Dane Piedt, which also makes it the most by a batsman against a bowler in a series.
99.84 – Rohit’s average in home Tests after his 212-run knock. He has scored 1298 runs in 18 innings with six centuries and five fifties. These are his last nine scores in Tests in India: 82*, 51*, 102*, 65, 50*, 176, 127, 14 and 212. He has the best average at home among all batsmen with 10-plus innings, just ahead of Don Bradman’s 98.22.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1978 – The last time an India opener scored three or more centuries in a Test series – Gavaskar against West Indies. Rohit Sharma became the second India opener to score more than two hundreds in a series. Gavaskar had done it three times in the 1970s.