Rohit Sharma Reflects on Record Chase Against West Indies

Rohit Sharma's Private Celebration After Stunning Century

In Guwahati, Assam, on September 30, former Indian captain Rohit Sharma expressed his desire to keep his celebration private following a remarkable century against the West Indies. He stated, "some things are just meant to be with you and not to be shared."

Rohit achieved his century in just 72 balls during the second ODI, showcasing his joy with a celebratory jog and a triumphant punch in the air.

India delivered a fierce batting performance, with Shubman Gill's double century and Rohit Sharma's impressive hundred leading the team to their highest successful run chase in ODI history.

The Indian team chased down a target of 406 runs against the West Indies in just 43.3 overs, becoming only the second team after South Africa to achieve a successful 400-plus chase in ODI cricket.

Reflecting on the chase, Rohit commended the pitch conditions, his partnership with Gill, and their strategy of focusing on each ball rather than the scoreboard. He acknowledged the importance of a strong start from the top order and praised Gill for his composure throughout the innings.

Rohit humorously mentioned that after a long day of fielding and batting, he had no plans to follow Ravindra Jadeja's suggestion to celebrate with a slide and jump.

Sharma's innings included 101 runs off 75 balls, featuring 10 fours and 6 sixes, while Gill scored an impressive 223 runs off 133 balls, with 26 fours and 8 sixes.

"I’ll keep that celebration to myself. Some things are just meant to be with you, and it’s not to be shared. So that was for me. The wicket was good, we just wanted to continue batting. We were not thinking about the scoreboard. We were trying to play the merit of the ball. We were trying to stitch a partnership. Gill was fantastic on the other end. He was in control of his batting. To see him stay not out was fantastic to see as well. It comes down to concentration," Rohit explained.

"You have to keep telling yourself to not throw it away. I wanted to use my experience. We knew the pitch was good and we needed big runs from the top order, and that’s exactly what happened, and we had a very good partnership at the top, and it pretty much sealed the game for us. [Jadeja] wanted me to slide and jump and celebrate, but after fifty overs of fielding and batting so much, I was never going to do that," Rohit added.

The opening partnership between Gill and Sharma was remarkable, totaling 255 runs, marking the second-highest opening partnership for India in ODI history. They narrowly missed breaking the record of 258 runs set by Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly against Kenya in 2001.