Media365
Former India skipper Rohit Sharma’s fluent half-century came to an abrupt end on Sunday after a brief mid-pitch consultation with Virat Kohli led to the opener deciding against reviewing an LBW decision, a call that left fans buzzing across social media during the first ODI against South Africa.The moment unfolded in the 22nd over of the Indian innings.
Marco Jansen went short of a length, the ball stayed lower than expected and struck Rohit around the back thigh as he swivelled into a pull shot. The Proteas went up immediately, the umpire raised the finger, and Rohit paused, turning to non-striker Kohli for a quick word. After a few seconds of discussion, the two agreed there was no need for DRS. Rohit began the walk back, ending what had been a composed, commanding outing. Replays later suggested the delivery would have clipped the top of the stumps at worst, validating the decision to move on.Rohit departed for 57 off 50 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes, and in the process rewriting ODI history. Earlier in his innings, the 38-year-old had sent two clean hits sailing over deep midwicket off spinner Prenelan Subrayen to draw level with Shahid Afridi’s tally of 351 sixes, the previous record for most in One-Day Internationals. Moments later, a towering pull off Jansen over deep square leg carried him past the former Pakistan star.With 352 ODI sixes, Rohit is now the most prolific six-hitter the format has ever seen, achieving the feat in just 270 innings, far quicker than Afridi’s 398-match career. He also brought up his 60th ODI half-century before his exit, extending a legacy built since his debut in 2007.
