India batting great Rohit Sharma reflected on his long-standing batting partnership with batting great Virat Kohli after achieving another feat during India’s third ODI against England at Lord’s. Speaking to BCCI.TV after the match, the India opener lauded his understanding with Virat Kohli, saying that their years of playing together has helped them form one of the most successful partnerships in international cricket.
The comments came after Rohit and Kohli took another crucial stand in the series decider. Although India eventually lost the match by 27 runs while chasing 388 and lost the three-match ODI series 2-1, the experienced pair once again showed why they have been the backbone of India’s batting for over a decade. Also, Rohit Sharma also broke his silence on the noise of ODI retirement after his century at Lord’s.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma created history in Lord’s ODI
The Lord’s ODI became another memorable chapter in the careers of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as the duo played their 400th international match together, becoming the first Indian pair and only the sixth pair in international cricket history to achieve the feat. Together they have represented India in 234 ODIs, 106 T20Is and 60 Tests.
Only five pairs have performed together in more international matches than Rohit and Kohli. Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene top the list with 550 matches, followed by Tillakaratne Dilshan and Jayawardene (426), Sangakkara and Dilshan (418), Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan (408), and South Africa’s Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher (407). Rohit and Kohli have now reached the milestone of 400 matches, and have gone ahead of Indian greats Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, who have played 391 international matches together.
The pair also performed well with the bat at Lord’s. Chasing a tough target of 388, Rohit Sharma scored 71 off 48 balls while Kohli made 38 off 38 balls and stitched a second-wicket stand of 113 runs in just 86 balls, putting India in a strong position, before England took the lead and won the series.
Overall, Rohit Sharma scored 138 runs in 110 balls with the help of 17 fours and 5 sixes, while Kohli scored 74 runs in 60 balls with the help of 4 fours and 3 sixes.
“We have played our entire career together” – Rohit Sharma on Virat Kohli
Looking at his partnership with Virat Kohli, Rohit said that their understanding has developed naturally over the years as they have spent their entire international careers batting alongside each other. He also revealed that constant communication between them has always been an important part of their successful partnerships.
Rohit Sharma said, “We have played our entire career together, so, you know, it was good to have him in the middle. You know, we have had many partnerships. It is always fun to bat together. We understand each other a lot.”
“And yes, it’s always good in the middle, bouncing ideas around, try and see what we can do. So there were a lot of conversations going on in the middle while we were batting.”
“Yes, look, I love playing in England” – Rohit Sharma
Rohit also spoke about his love for batting in England, a country where he has consistently delivered impressive ODI performances over the years. The century at Lord’s is another reminder of his success in English conditions. In 30 ODIs in England, Rohit has scored 1,603 runs at an excellent average of 64.12, including eight centuries and seven half-centuries, making him one of the country’s most successful visiting batsmen.
“Yes, look, I love playing in England. There’s no doubt about it. The atmosphere, the grounds, the pitches. You know, when you come here to play in any kind of format, it challenges you in different ways. And that’s what you want as a cricketer. You want challenge all the time. And yes, I had my times in between.”
“I enjoyed it. But then, like I said, a little disappointed with the result. We, you know, couldn’t finish the game and swing the result in our favor. But yes, we have to move on from that and try and see how we can, you know, get better and see what we can do better as a group. Not just about individuals. You know, it’s about the group, it takes a collective effort from the group. And I think That’s what the team should focus on.”
