Rohit Sharma clocked these numbers while opening in Tests
What's the story
One of India's finest-ever batters, Rohit Sharma has announced his retirement from Test cricket.
Rohit's career is defined by a remarkable change in his batting position.
After averaging below 40 in the middle order, the veteran's luck turned when he was asked to open for India in October 2019.
He never looked back thereafter. Here we look at Rohit's stunning numbers while opening in Tests.
DYK
Nine Test tons as opener
Rohit's career turned on October 2, 2019, when he was asked to open the innings for India in Tests for the first time.
He answered with a brilliant show against South Africa in Vizag, scoring centuries in both innings.
Overall, he finished with 2,697 runs from 38 matches as an opener at 42.80, as per ESPNcricinfo.
While he hammered nine tons since October 2019, no other batter while batting at the top touched the three-figure mark even eight times.
League
Rohit only behind these names
Sri Lankan legend Dimuth Karunaratne (2,840) and Australia's Usman Khawaja (2,805) are the only batters to smash more Test runs as a designated opener than Rohit since October 2019.
No other player has 2,500 runs in this regard.
Meanwhile, Rohit went 30 successive Test innings without a single-digit score between February 2021 and July 2023. This is the longest such streak for a batter.
Sixes
Most sixes in a Test
Rohit is among just the six players with 50-plus Test sixes while opening the batting.
He has 56 sixes in this regard as Virender Sehwag (89) is the only Indian ahead of him on this list.
Rohit also holds the record for hammering the most sixes by a batter in a Test.
He slammed 13 maximums against South Africa in the 2019 Vishakhapatnam Test.
Notably, Rohit slammed tons in both innings.
Feat
Here are his other unique records
Each of Rohit's nine Test tons as an opener resulted in victories for India. No other batter with six-plus tons has a 100% record.
Seven of Rohit's nine Test tons while batting at the top have come at home.
Sunil Gavaskar (15), Sehwag (13), and Murali Vijay (9) are the only batters with more Test hundreds in India as an opener.
Career overview
Rohit's Test career: A journey of highs and lows
Rohit's overall Test career lasted over a decade, starting in 2013 against West Indies.
He scored a stunning 177 runs in his debut match, the second-highest by an Indian debutant.
However, despite a long career, he played only 67 Tests due to inconsistencies and injuries.
Across his Test career, Rohit Sharma scored 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57 (100s: 12, 50s: 12).
Rohit led India in 24 Tests, winning 12, losing nine, and drawing three.