Only cricketer to score century in all formats as a player and captain
India recorded a huge win over Australia in the opening match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 on Saturday (February 11). Both India and Australia are in contention for the final of the World Test Championship.
Both India and Australia are dominating Test cricket for the last few years. The first Test proved a one-sided affair though as the hosts won the game by innings and 132 runs. Returning star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja took seven wickets while veteran Ravichandran Ashwin bagged eight wickets.
Australia’s debutant spinner Todd Murphy took seven wickets in the first innings to make the biggest impact from the Australian team. While spinners definitely dominated the game, batters struggled to score big knocks. Steve Smith showed his unparalleled skills in Test cricket by scoring 37 in the first innings and 25 not out in the second innings.
Captain leading from the front
Indian batters fared better, with captain Rohit Sharma top-scoring 120 off 212 in the first innings. Rohit looked confident throughout his knock and seemed untroubled against Australia’s spin attack. His knock helped him win the game-changer of the match award as well.
However, Rohit also created a unique record when he completed his ninth Test hundred. Rohit became the first cricketer in the world to score a century in all formats, both as a player and captain.
There are only 21 cricketers in the world with centuries in all formats so far. India’s Shubman Gill is the latest entrant in the list, while Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and Suresh Raina also doing the honors.
Unique record
Rohit became India’s only second Indian cricketer to score a century across all formats in 2015 when he scored his first T20I hundred. And now the latest Test century against Australia makes him the first cricketer to score a century in all formats both as a player and captain.
He has scored 43 international hundreds across formats (9 in Test, 30 in ODIs, and four in T20Is) so far. But since taking over captaincy duties, he has struggled with consistency and fitness issues. However, he smashed 101 against New Zealand in India’s last 50-over game last month and now added another century in Test to get back in rhythm.
