Rohit has been a standout batsman for India, reaching his ninth Test century off 171 deliveries on the second afternoon of the match. With that, he penned a wonderful chapter in India’s history, while the next best has been a 23-run score from night watchman R Ashwin.

In the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia in Nagpur, India captain Rohit Sharma was the only warrior, much like he was in the Chennai Test two years ago. Rohit has been a standout batsman for India, reaching his ninth Test century off 171 deliveries on the second afternoon of the match. With that, he penned a wonderful chapter in India’s history, while the next best has been a 23-run score from night watchman R Ashwin.

After India’s first-day defeat of Australia by 177 runs, Rohit had a fluent start

His 56 at the end of the first day brought India’s deficit down to 100. On the second morning, he maintained his momentum, but frequent terminations at the other end prompted him to temper down. With a lofted shot over midfield against Todd Murphy, his 171st delivery eventually reached three figures.

This was his ninth century in a Test, his eighth at home, and his first as captain since taking over from Virat Kohli last year. He now joins Babar Azam, Faf du Plessis, and Tillakaratne Dilshan as the fourth captain’s batter to score a century in multiple formats.

As captain of the Indian team, the 35-year-old has scored six centuries across all formats. He remains the only Indian to accomplish this feat with three ODI matches and two T20I matches. This was also his 38th century as an opener across formats, which still ranks second only to Sachin Tendulkar’s 45. Six of them have played Test cricket, which ranks eighth among Indian teams.

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When it comes to the match, Murphy has been Australia’s best bowler, taking four of the five wickets, whereas Nathan Lyon has only taken one. However, Rohit’s magnificent shot has been the difference between the two teams, as India took a lead before tea on Day 2 thanks to his century.