Rohit Sharma eyes Sunil Gavaskar’s tally of centuries as captain in home Tests vs Australia

By India Today Sports DeskRohit Sharma has led India from the front in his first major series as Test captain, topping the run-scoring charts in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia at home. Questions were asked about Rohit’s availability for major series due to fitness woes, but the skipper has stepped up big time, putting India on the cusp of their second successive World Test Championship final.

Rohit Sharma has scored 207 runs in 3 Tests, being the only batter from both sides to score a hundred on what has been difficult pitches for the batters. Rohit is the only batter who has gone past the 200-run mark in the series so far.

Rohit has an opportunity to emulate one of Sunil Gavaskar’s feat as he gears up to lead India in the 4th and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The India captain will become the only 2nd India captain to score more than one hundreds in India vs Australia Test matches if he goes past the 3-figure score in the 4th Test, which will get underway on March 9 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Rohit Sharma is one of the 6 India captains who have hit a hundred against Australia in Test cricket in home conditions. Sunil Gavaskar is the only India captain who has hit multiple hundreds. The legendary batter had a tremendous series in 1979, scoring 425 runs in a 6-match series against a Kim Hughes-led side. Gavaskar had hit 2 hundreds and 2 fifties in the 6-Test series.

On the other hand, MS Dhoni is the leading run-getter as India captain against Australia in home Tests, having scored 643 runs, including a double hundred and 4 fifties, in 8 Tests.

MOST HUNDREDS IN IND v AUS TESTS AT HOME (CAPTAINS)

• Sunil Gavaskar – 2 in 6 Tests – 425 runs
• MS Dhoni – 1 in 8 Tests – 643 runs
• Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi – 1 in 8 Tests – 490 runs
• Mohammad Azharuddin – 1 in 3 Tests – 311 runs
• Kapil Dev – 1 in 3 Tests – 120 runs
• Rohit Sharma – 1 in 3 Tests – 207 runs*

Rohit Sharma and India will be looking for an improved show with the bat in the 4th and final Test in Ahmedabad, which is expected to offer good batting conditions. The pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium wore a hard look and is expected to offer true bounce, according to news agency PTI.

India were bundled out for 109 and 163 on a rank-turner in Indore where Australia defeated the hosts by 9 wickets to stage a comeback into the series after losing the first two Tests. India batters struggled against spin on a pitch that was rated poor by the International Cricket Council.

India also have added motivation for the 4th Test as a win will ensure their place in the World Test Championship final.