ENG v IND 2021: Rohit Sharma says he knew it was his last chance in Tests when asked to open in 2019

Rohit Sharma hit his maiden Test ton outside India in the ongoing 4th Test at Oval vs England.

Rohit Sharma was the toast of the fourth Test between England and India as he raised his eighth Test century and first one outside India, on day three of the ongoing encounter at the Oval. This was also his first Test ton as an opener outside India and first overseas one after hitting 7 tons at home.

Rohit has been in good form having scored 368 runs in 8 innings of the ongoing Test series with 2 half-centuries and one century to his name. He averages 52.57 and his strike rate of 42.49 has shown that he is prepared to wait for the right ball to score runs off.

On Wednesday, Rohit said at the end of the third day's play, that deciding to open in Test matches back in 2019 was one of the biggest decisions he took as a cricketer because he knew that it was going to be his "last chance" in red-ball cricket.

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He was asked if given the green light to the team management about batting at the top of the order was the biggest risk that he took, Rohit said, “You could say so in the hindsight.”

"In the back of my mind, I knew this was my last chance as well trying another position in the batting order," he said after scoring his eighth Test hundred and fifth as an opener.

When the offer came to me, I was very much aware of it as there were talks within the management about opening the innings at some stage. Mentally, I was ready to take up the challenge and see how I can do well up the order," he said.

The Mumbaikar also mentioned that he was aware that there weren’t too many chances coming his way in Tests, as his stint in middle-order had not gone as planned.

"I know I batted in the middle order and things didn't go as per the way I wanted it to and I knew this was my last opportunity to try out and you know management is thinking whatever I want to try.

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When you are playing the sport, you always have to take those chances and you always have to take those risks and so you could say I was ready for it and didn't come to me as a surprise. You can say it would have been my last opportunity if I wouldn't have succeeded. Anything could have happened," said Rohit.

He did say that the team management had told him that he will get a long rope.

"That (about it being his last opportunity) was my feeling. I don't know about others because the team management told me that I will have a long run. But I wanted to think in a way that this is it. I have to make good use of the opportunity and for that, I have to do whatever it takes," he said.

"I don't mind looking ugly at times as long as I can get the job done for the team. That is very crucial,” Rohit signed off by saying.

(PTI inputs)