IND vs AUS: India captain Rohit Sharma joins Dhoni, Tendulkar & others in mega record book

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma smashed several batting records in Test cricket on Day 3 of the India vs Australia fourth Test match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The 35-year-old reached the 17000-run mark in international cricket in the early stages of his knock and joined an elite list of Indian batsmen to achieve the milestone. Rohit became the sixth Indian batsman to score over 17000 international runs in their career after Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Although he failed to convert his start into a big knock, Rohit achieved the major milestone in 438 international matches (49 Tests, 241 ODIs, and 148 ODIs). Opening the batting for India in the second innings of the fourth Test, Rohit scored 35 runs off 58 balls before getting dismissed. During his stay at the crease, he hit three fours and a six, while registering a 74-run first-wicket stand with Shubman Gill.

India batsmen to score over 17000 international runs

• Sachin Tendulkar - 34,357
• Virat Kohli* - 25047
• Rahul Dravid - 24,064
• Sourav Ganguly - 18,433
• Mahendra Singh Dhoni - 17,092
• Rohit Sharma* - 17,014

Rohit Sharma shakes up record books

Meanwhile, en route to his 35-run knock in the first innings on Day 3, Rohit became the second fastest Indian to complete 2000 runs in Test cricket in India. He took 24 Tests in India to achieve the record with an average of 66.73. Interestingly, he has hit eight Test hundreds and six fifties so far at home.

Coming back to the Ahmedabad Test, Australia notched up a score of 480 runs in the first innings of the game, courtesy of Usman Khawaja’s 180 and Cameron Green’s 114. While R Ashwin registered a six-wicket haul, Mohammed Shami took two wickets, while Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja claimed a wicket each. Team India’s score stood at 129/1 in 37 overs as lunch was called on Day 3 of the match.

India is currently eyeing to secure their place in the ICC World Test Championship final by defeating the Aussie side in Ahmedabad. The Rohit Sharma-led side is up by 2-1 in the series but needs to win the series finale to advance into the ICC WTC final. On the other hand, Australia have already qualified for the summit clash and are looking to avoid a series loss.