Rohit Sharma's double ton in the one-day international against Australia in Bangalore on Saturday played a key role in his Test debut against the West Indies. And his father Gurunath was delighted to see his son grab the opportunity with both hands yesterday.
“Test cricket is real cricket. Every cricketer is known for his performance in Tests. Scoring a century on debut is a dream come true for any cricketer,” Gurunath told MiD DAY yesterday.
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“Not being able play Test cricket hurt Rohit. He spoke to me about this many times. I am glad he cashed in on this opportunity. I am confident he will come up with many good performances and match-winning knocks for India,” he added.
Rohit made his ODI debut in 2007 and has scored 3049 runs in 108 internationals at 36.73. If Wednesday was memorable because he received his Test cap then, yesterday was extra special because he ended Day Two of the Kolkata Test against the West Indies with an unbeaten 127.
Rohit came in to bat when India were struggling at 82-4. After Virat Kohli’s dismissal, he shared a 73-run stand for the sixth wicket with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni before an unbeaten 198-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Ravichandran Ashwin.
“Rohit played with a lot of responsibility today. I didn’t expect him to get a hundred straightaway, but hoped that he and Dhoni would bail India out after we were struggling at 83-5. Ashwin too played a good supporting role,” Gurunath said.
Sharma Sr expects his son to score a double ton now: “If he and Ashwin manage to play the first hour well, we can surely expect a double century from him tomorrow.” u00a0