VVS Laxman and Gautam Gambhir have heaped praise on India batsman Rohit Sharma after his record-breaking performance against South Africa.
Sharma became the first player to score two hundreds in his maiden Test as opener while also breaking the record for the most sixes in a Test.
Having made 176 in India’s first-inning total of 502-7 dec, the 32-year-old scored 127 on Saturday as India again dominated with the bat, setting South Africa 395 to win in Visakhapatnam.
South Africa reached 11-1 at the close of play on day four, with first-innings centurion Dean Elgar dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja, who has already taken eight wickets in the match.
Opening for the first time in Tests and scores 100s in both the innings. What a memorable Test match for @ImRo45 Well played. Keep it up. #matchwinner #INDvsSA
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) October 5, 2019
Take a bowðââï¸@ImRo45 Eventually you are, where you belong to ! ðð
— Gautam Gambhir (Modi Ka Parivar) (@GautamGambhir) October 5, 2019
Rohit smashed 13 sixes in his twin hundreds, beating the previous record of 12 set by Pakistan’s Wasim Akram against Zimbabwe in 1996.
Reacting to Sharma’s stunning performance, Laxman said: ‘Opening for the first time in Tests and scores twin hundreds. What a memorable Test match for Rohit. Well played. Keep it up.’
Fellow India hero Gambhir added: ‘Take a bow, Rohit. Eventually you are where you belong.’
Sharma has been a key player for India in one-day cricket for the past decade and scored five centuries and over 600 runs in last summer’s World Cup.
