Rohit Sharma returned to form with a fine half-century in the IND vs AUS 2nd ODI on Thursday. The India opener was under the pump after a poor show in Perth but put on a fine knock under pressure in testing conditions. Rohit is now the fourth highest run-getter in ODIs as opener with his 59th half-century in the format.
Rohit Sharma ends Adelaide barren run with sedate half-century
Rohit Sharma rolled back a decade with a patient innings in Adelaide on Thursday. The Hit-Man had made a name for for himself with his ultra aggressive approach in the powerplay over the last couple of years. However, with Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli falling cheaply, Rohit decided to play out the Australian attack with patience.
At one point, Rohit had just scored 8 runs in 28 balls, with Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood bowling tight lines. He did break free later, scoring more freely. The 38-year-old targeted Mitchell Owen with a couple of sixes to get the run rate going. He eventually managed his half-century off 74 balls, with a huge roar from the Adelaide crowd.
It was his first 50+ score in Adelaide after 16 innings across all formats. He also went past a 1000 ODI runs in Australia, having first toured the country in 2008. He is only the second Indian batter to do so after Sachin Tendulkar, further adding to his own legacy. The 38-year-old only trails Sachin for most runs against the 6-time World Champions, averaging a stunning 56.54.
Most ODI runs as opener
| Player | Span | Inns | Runs | HS | Ave | SR | 100 | 50 |
| Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 1994-2012 | 340 | 15310 | 200* | 48.29 | 88.04 | 45 | 75 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya (Asia/SL) | 1993-2011 | 383 | 12740 | 189 | 34.61 | 92.48 | 28 | 66 |
| Chris Gayle (ICC/WI) | 2000-2019 | 274 | 10179 | 215 | 39.45 | 88.02 | 25 | 53 |
| Rohit Sharma (IND) | 2011-2025 | 186 | 9219 | 264 | 54.55 | 96.08 | 30 | 46 |
| Adam Gilchrist (AUS/ICC) | 1998-2008 | 259 | 9200 | 172 | 36.5 | 98.02 | 16 | 53 |
