Rohit Sharma keeps meaning of Guwahati hundred celebration to himself
Rohit Sharma declined to explain the meaning of his on-field celebration after scoring a century for India in the second ODI against West Indies in Guwahati on Wednesday. The 39-year-old completed a 101-run innings as India recorded an eight-wicket victory.
India chased down West Indies' 405/7, reaching 406/2 in 43.3 overs to secure the win with 39 balls to spare and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The chase was anchored by a dominant opening stand that propelled India past a total described in the match report as West Indies' highest-ever ODI score.
Rohit reached his century off 72 balls and celebrated by breaking into a hopping jog and punching the air, a moment that quickly went viral. When questioned about the celebration after India's eight-wicket win, Rohit said: "Well, I will keep that celebration for myself. Ah, it's for me, it's for me. Somethings are just meant to be with you. It's not to be shared. So, yeah, that was for me." He finished on 101 off 75 balls, hitting 10 fours and six sixes.
Shubman Gill and Rohit compiled a 255-run opening partnership that put India firmly in control of the chase. Gill produced an unbeaten 233 off 133 balls, the fastest double hundred in men's ODI cricket, as the pair erased the West Indies total.
West Indies had earlier amassed 405/7 with centuries from John Campbell, Shai Hope and Amir Jangoo. That collective effort produced the highest ODI total credited to the West Indies in the match report.
During his innings Rohit reached a personal milestone, becoming only the seventh batter and third Indian after Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli to cross 12,000 runs in ODI cricket. He reached the landmark in his 291st ODI for India and now has 12,000-plus runs, 35 centuries and 62 half-centuries while averaging nearly 50.
Rohit addressed the pair's mindset during the chase, saying: "Yeah, absolutely. Like you said, the wicket was good. We just wanted to continue to keep batting. We were not worried about the scoreboard to be honest. We were just trying to play to the merit of the ball. We were just stitching a partnership which I think when you are chasing a target like that, you need to keep stitching big partnerships," Rohit said. The report also noted that Rohit now plays only ODI cricket with next year's World Cup in sight.
The century was Rohit's second in three matches at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, and the victory left India with an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
