Rohit Sharma achieves unique fifty, hits Australia for a six in Bangalore
Rohit Sharma continued to blast Australia’s bowlers out of the park and in the Bangalore ODI, he completed 50 sixes against them while also registering yet another fifty to join a very unique club of cricketers.
india vs australia 2017 Updated: Sep 28, 2017 22:12 IST
Hindustan Times, Bangalore
Rohit Sharma loves to hit Australia for a six. Before the match at the M Chinnaswamy stadium, he had already hit 48 sixes against them. On Thursday, he entered a unique club as he took his tally of sixes against Steve Smith’s side past fifty. (India vs Australia 4th ODI Highlights)
Rohit’s 49th six included a pull shot off Pat Cummins that sailed into the stands at deep mid wicket. His 50th six was achieved when he slammed Kane Richardson over deep mid wicket to enter a special landmark. (India vs Australia 4th ODI Scorecard)
When the right-hander pulled Richardson for a six, he became the first cricketer in ODI history to hit 50 sixes against Australia. In Indore, he had already become the leading six-hitter in international cricket by overtaking Brendon McCullum’s tally of 61.
Things got better for the right-hander as he continued to take Australia to the cleaners. In the 17th over bowled by wrist spinner Adam Zampa, he nailed a slog sweep to deep midwicket and he got to his 34th fifty in style by blasting yet another sweep to wide long on.
(Read | David Warner shines on his 100th ODI with century against India)
Rohit blasted yet another six off Travis Head but on 65, he was run-out after Virat Kohli had punched a good length ball to point but some sharp fielding from Steve Smith resulted in Rohit being sent back from the striker’s end. In 2013, Rohit had run out Kohli for 0 at the same venue and against the same opponents.
Rohit is the third player in ODI history to hit fifty sixes against a single opposition. Sanath Jayasuriya smashed 53 sixes against India while Pakistan’s dashing batsman Shahid Afridi achieved this feat three times. Afridi smashed 63 sixes against Sri Lanka, 51 against India and fifty against New Zealand.
The tally of 63 sixes against an opponent remains the highest in ODIs. Rohit also enjoys batting against Australia at the M Chinnaswamy stadium, having blasted 16 sixes in his record of 209 in 2013. That tally of 16 sixes remains the joint-highest in ODIs, with AB de Villiers.
