Indian opener Rohit Sharma made his comeback into the Test team after a long injury and COVID-19 forced break. He and Shubman Gill added a brilliant 70 runs for the first wicket in reply to Australia’s total of 338 which was bolstered by Steve Smith’s 131.
India was handed an advantage by Rohit Sharma, who also became the first and only batsman to hit 100 sixes in international cricket against Australia when he smoked Nathan Lyon over the long-on boundary into the stands.
Rohit made 26 runs with 3 fours and this record-making six in 77 balls, before being caught and bowled by Josh Hazlewood. The six against Nathan Lyon was also the new Indian vice-captain in Tests’ 424th in international cricket.
With 100 sixes against Australia alone, Rohit is followed by England’s Eoin Morgan (63), New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum (61), and Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni, both with 60 sixes each.
The most number of sixes Rohit has hit in one innings against Australia came in Bengaluru in 2013, when he smoked 16 sixes in an ODI, during his first double century. He ended up with 209 runs with 12 fours, 16 sixes in 158 balls.
Overall, before this Test match, Rohit Sharma had 52 sixes in 32 Tests, 244 sixes in 224 ODIs, and 127 sixes in 108 T20Is for India in international cricket.
