In Stats: All the Records Rohit Sharma’s 115* Broke on Day 1 vs SA

A look at all the big numbers from Day 1 of the first India vs South Africa Test at Visakhapatnam.

Rohit Sharma the opener smashed a century to help India post 202-0 at stumps.

(Photo: BCCI)

With out-of-form KL Rahul dropped, Rohit Sharma was sent in with Mayank Agarwal to open India’s innings in the first Test against South Africa at Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, 2 October.

And in his Test debut as an opener, Rohit smashed a century to help India post 202-0 at stumps with rain preventing any play in the final session on Day 1.

Sharma had never opened even in domestic first-class cricket apart from his two-ball duck for the Indian Board President's XI against South Africans last week.

He was unbeaten on 115 – his fourth Test century – with 12 fours and five sixes. Mayank Agarwal also turned on the aggression, reaching 84 not out with 11 fours and two sixes as South Africa failed to break through in its 59.1 overs.

Here’s a look at all the big numbers from Day 1 of the first India vs South Africa Test.

• Rohit Sharma’s first hundred against South Africa is his fourth in Tests – two against West Indies and one each against Sri Lanka and South Africa.
• Sharma became the fourth Indian player to hit a hundred while opening the innings for the first time in Tests, joining Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul and Prithvi Shaw.

(Graphic: Arnica Kala/The Quint)

• Rohit Sharma became the first Indian opener to register a hundred each in all three international formats – Tests, ODIs and T20Is. He has joined Chris Gayle, Shane Watson, Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum, Ahmed Shehzad, Tamim Iqbal and Tillakaratne Dilshan.
• Sharma became the second Indian and the fourth player to record six consecutive innings of fifty-plus in Tests in India.  He has joined West Indian Everton Weekes, Zimbabwean Andy Flower and India's Rahul Dravid.

(Graphic: Arnica Kala/The Quint)

• Sharma enjoys an outstanding average of 98.22 in Tests in India – his aggregate being 884 in 15 innings, including four hundreds and five fifties. He has equalled Don Bradman's home average of 98.22 in 33 Tests – 4322 runs, including 18 centuries and 10 fifties (minimum qualification: 10 innings).
• South Africa have lost eight consecutive tosses in Test matches played in Asia – one against Bangladesh and four against India in 2015; two against Sri Lanka in 2018 and one in the present Test against India at Visakhapatnam.
• Three out of 13 double century partnerships for the opening wicket against South Africa in Tests have been registered by Indian pairs.  Before the 202 (unbroken) double century stand between Mayank Agarwal and Rohit Sharma, the previous double against them was by an Indian pair – 213 by Virender Sehwag and Wasim Jaffer at Chepauk, Chennai in March 2008.
• The last instance when India had a double century stands in Tests was 283 between Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan vs Bangladesh at Fatullah in June 2015. Overall, India have registered 13 double century stands for the first wicket.
• Mayank Agarwal (84 not out) has posted his highest Test score, eclipsing his previous highest of 77 against Australia at Sydney in January 2019.