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Rohit Sharma goes past Ricky Ponting, Kane Williamson to achieve incredible ODI batting record on English soil
Rohit Sharma remained unbeaten on 76 in the 1st ODI – and during the knock, went past former Australia captain Ricky Ponting and New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson for a massive feat in England.
Rohit Sharma was in full flow as he scored an unbeaten 76 in 58 balls to help India chase down England’s small target of 111. Picking balls which were short of or even at a length and pulling them for sixes consistently, Rohit crossed several milestones in his innings as he guided India home for a ten-wicket victory at the Oval. This included breaching the 5000-run barrier as a pair with opening partner Shikhar Dhawan.
However, on a more personal level, it saw Rohit overtake Kane Williamson’s number of runs scored in ODIs in England. Williamson has 1393 runs in English conditions, and Rohit’s innings saw him go past 1400, becoming the first visiting player to ever do so. He now sits at 1411 runs scored in 25 innings.
Rohit will have two more ODIs in this series to get close to 1500, and with the form he is showing, it remains a very real possibility. Rohit has always enjoyed playing in England in the 50-over format, scoring 4 centuries in the 2019 World Cup hosted there. He also enjoyed a strong tour with India in 2018, and saw his breakthrough as an opener in the triumphant 2013 ICC Champions Trophy campaign.
Here's the list of the highest run-scorers from visiting batters in ODIs in England:
- Rohit Sharma* (India) - 1,411
- Kane Williamson (New Zealand) - 1,393
- Ricky Ponting (Australia) - 1,345
- Virat Kohli* (India) - 1,316
- Chris Gayle (West Indies) - 1,258
(* denotes players who are part of the ongoing ODI series)
Rohit, who is now the all-format captain for the Men in Blue, led the team to a 2-1 series victory over their hosts in the T20Is. They now lead in the ODI series 1-0, with India's form with both bat and ball looking highly promising.
India will remain in London to play the second ODI at Lord’s, and will seek to make their series lead unassailable with another win there. Following this, they will travel north to Manchester for the third and final ODI. The biggest concerns will be regarding Virat Kohli’s fitness and form ahead of these matches, but with Rohit looking in incredible touch, their fans will have confidence that the strength of batting and bowling currently in the ODI squad will see them through.
