The whispers around Rohit Sharma’s form and, indeed, his ODI future were crushed under the weight of a sublime century in the third ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). With India already trailing 0-2 in the series, Rohit’s knock was a powerful statement that the Hitman is far from done. He has ended a long wait by smashing his 50th international century, becoming only the third Indian to do so after Sachin Tendulkar (100) and Virat Kohli (82).
Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli masterclass in Sydney
Alongside Virat Kohli, who also looked in rhythm, Rohit reminded everyone of why this partnership defined an era of Indian cricket. The entire series was billed on the shoulders of these two legends and the Sydney crowd witnessed something special. There was no rush, no desperation. Just smart, old-school batting. Meanwhile, Kohli breached a major record himself when he got to his fifty.
Singles, doubles, and the occasional boundary flowed as they slowly squeezed the life out of the Australian attack. It felt like a throwback, the kind of innings that builds brick by brick before exploding into something special. After negotiating Josh Hazlewood in the powerplay, Rohit attacked the other bowlers and despite losing Shubman Gill early on, he got going with Kohli, who finally scored runs in this series.
In the entire series for India, Rohit looked like the best batter. Virat Kohli got two ducks, Shreyas Iyer’s technique raised some questions while Shubman Gill failed to deliver. After a low score in Perth, the timing returned, the feet moved sharper, and the shots through the offside were pure elegance. Then came those pull shots, a whip of the wrists, and the ball sailing over deep midwicket. Vintage Hitman.
The hundred came off 105 balls, packed with 11 fours and 2 sixes. It is an honour to watch Rohit bat in full flow and now he has truly announced that he is as hungry as anyone for the mission World Cup 2027.
Most ODI 100s vs Australia ft. Rohit
| Player | 100s vs Australia (ODIs) | Innings |
|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma * | 9 | 49 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 9 | 70 |
| Virat Kohli | 8 | 51 |
| Desmond Haynes | 6 | 64 |
Most international 100s for India
| Player | International Centuries |
|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | 100 |
| Virat Kohli | 82 |
| Rohit Sharma * | 50 |
| Rahul Dravid | 48 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 38 |
Rohit Sharma’s 50 International Centuries
Format-wise Breakdown:
- 12 in Tests
- 33 in ODIs
- 5 in T20Is
Rohit Sharma is the only batter in cricket history with five or more hundreds in each of the three formats.
Most ODI Hundreds by a visiting batter in Australia
| Player | 100s in Australia (as Visitor) | Innings |
|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | 6 | 33 |
| Virat Kohli | 5 | 32 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 5 | 49 |
Most ODI Hundreds against a single opposition
| Player | Opposition | 100s |
|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | Sri Lanka | 10 |
| Virat Kohli | West Indies | 9 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | Australia | 9 |
| Rohit Sharma | Australia | 9 |
Oldest Indians to score an ODI century
| Player | Age at Century |
|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | 38 years 327 days |
| Rohit Sharma * | 38 years 178 days |
| Sunil Gavaskar | 38 years 113 days |
Considering that Rohit Sharma is eyeing the ODI World Cup 2027, he may easily break Sachin Tendulkar’s record in this one.
Most ODI Hundreds in SENA countries (by Visiting Batters)
| Player | 100s |
|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma * | 14 |
| Virat Kohli | 10 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 10 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | 10 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 9 |
