Rohit Sharma. (Photo source: Prakash Singh/Getty Images)
Rohit Sharma etched his name into the history books as he became only the fourth player to hit his first two balls for sixes in Test cricket. Interestingly, three out of the four players on this list are Indians.
After dismissing Bangladesh for 233 on Day 4 of the second Test at Green Park, Kanpur on Monday, September 30, Indian openers Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal came out to bat with a positive frame of mind. After Yashasvi led the charge by hitting three fours in the first over against in-form pacer Hasan Mahmud, Rohit took strike to Khaled Ahmed, who was brought into the playing for this clash.
Also Check: IND vs BAN 2024: Rohit Sharma takes a one-handed stunner to send back Litton Das
Rohit charged down the track off the first ball of his innings and swung through the line to deposit the new SG ball over long-on for a huge maximum. The 37-year-old followed it up with a trademark pull shot that sailed over deep square leg. He joined Foffie Williams, Sachin Tendulkar, and Umesh Yadav in the list of players who hit two sixes off their first two balls to begin their innings.
Williams hit Jim Laker for two sixes on the trot in 1948. Meanwhile, Tendulkar joined the West Indies cricketer when he hit Nathan Lyon for consecutive sixes in 2013. Umesh, on the other hand, hit South African spinner George Linde for back-to-back sixes in 2019.
Indian cricketers hit a six on the first ball they faced in a Test innings
MS Dhoni was the first Indian cricketer to hit a six off the first ball he faced in a Test innings. He hit Pedro Collins for a maximum in 2006 in Basseterre. Six years later, Zaheer Khan hit Tim Southee for a six off the first ball he faced in Bengaluru. Tendulkar, Umesh, and Rohit added their names to the list over the years.
Rohit was eventually dismissed for 23 off 11 balls after hitting one four and three sixes. The experienced cricketer gave the home side the momentum in their quest to force a result out of the rain-curtailed encounter.