India vs South Africa: Rohit Sharma joins Sunil Gavaskar in illustrious Test list with twin centuries in Vizag

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India opener Rohit Sharma scripted history by becoming the first cricketer in the history of the game to slam two centuries in two innings of a Test in his maiden match as an opener. Rohit achieved the historical first on Day 4 of the first Test match against South Africa in Visakhapatnam. Rohit is only the second opener after Sunil Gavaskar to score hundreds in both innings of a Test match. Gavaskar had done it thrice.

Overall, Rohit is only the sixth Indian to achieve the feat after Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar (thrice), Rahul Dravid (twice), Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane. Vijay Hazare was the first Indian to score hundreds in both innings of a Test match way back in 1948 against Australia.

Gavaskar had done it thrice – against West Indies in 1971 and in 1978 and against Pakistan in 1978. Former India captain Rahul Dravid had done it twice – against New Zealand in 1999 and against Pakistan in 2005.

India captain Virat Kohli had done the same in Australia in 2014. The last Indian to score two centuries in a Test match was Ajinkya Rahane, who did it against South Africa in 2015.

Rohit, who made 176 in his maiden knock as a Test opener in the first innings looked positive right from onset on Day 4. Rohi hit 7 sixes and 10 fours in his 127-run knock off just 149 balls. Rohit’s tally of 13 sixes in the match is also a world record, bettering Wasim Akram’s tally of 12 sixes against Zimbabwe in 1996.

Rohit was finally dismissed by Keshav Maharaj when he went for another maximum. Earlier R Ashwin picked up 7 wickets in the first innings as India bowled South Africa out for 431, taking a lead of 71. India had declared their innings at 502 in the first innings.