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The Times of India
The Times of India
Sport
TIMESOFINDIA.COM

Rohit Sharma stamps his class with 9th Test hundred

India opener Rohit Sharma played a captain's knock on a slow, testing track in Nagpur on Friday and brought up his 9th Test century that took the hosts past Australia's first-innings total of 177 on day two of the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

LIVE UPDATES: Day 2

Rohit, who was more aggressive while scoring the first 50 runs he hit on Thursday, mixed caution with aggression on Friday as the pitch played slower than the opening day as it started to wear out.

The skipper eventually reached the three-figure mark in 171 balls, with a four off Todd Murphy. The debutant off-spinner has been the most successful bowler of the innings for Australia, having taken four wickets by the time Rohit reached his century.

Rohit started cautiously on his overnight 56 before he smacked fast bowler captain Pat Cummins for a six over deep-square leg and hit another over the fence from spinner Nathan Lyon.

He changed gears according to the situation of the match and despite losing Ashwin and Pujara stood firm to see off the first session.

While wickets kept falling around Rohit, he kept his cool and one end intact to defy the Australian bowling attack.

The India captain was eventually dismissed shortly after the tea break for 120 by his counterpart Pat Cummins, who went past the bat to hit the stumps with the second new ball that the visitors took immediatley at the completion of 80 overs.

Rohit hit 15 fours and 2 sixes in his 212-ball knock that ended with India's score reading 229 for 6.

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