Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli 2 runs away from smashing ODI world record, will go past Greenidge-Haynes, Sachin-Ganguly
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have broken many individual records in ODIs but in the 3rd ODI vs Australia, they will have a great opportunity to create a world record as a batting pair.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli haven't been able to set the stage on fire in the ODI series against Australia so far. While Rohit did not feature in the series opener in Mumbai due to personal reasons, he was out for 13 while playing an expansive drive off Mitchell Starc in the second ODI in Visakhapatnam. Virat Kohli, on the other hand, was LBW in both the previous ODIs. He played all around a Starc in-swinger in the first ODI and was dismissed for 4. In the second ODI, he looked well set for 31 but once again missed a straight delivery while trying to whip it across the on side off Nathan Elis. Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav also have been silent in this series so far with two identical dismissals off Starc.
With the series locked at 1-1, India's misfiring top-order therefore would like to set things right in the decider at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday. Captain Rohit and former captain Kohli will have to take the lead role in that. Rohit and Kohli have been the pillars of India's limited-overs cricket for over a decade now.
To put things in perspective, Rohit and Kohli have 76 ODI hundreds which is four times the combined centuries of the XI Australia fielded in Thiruvananthapuram. And it's not only about the centuries, it's the impact Rohit and Kohli have when they are on song.
Rohit and Kohli have broken many individual records in ODIs but on Wednesday, they will have a great opportunity to create a world record as a batting pair. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli need only two runs to become the fastest pair to reach 5000 runs in ODIs. They have scored 4998 runs in 85 innings as a pair at an average of 62.47. They are the only pair in the history of ODI cricket to have scored more than 4000 runs at an average of more than 60. They have put together 18 century partnerships.
If they get the remaining two runs in the third ODI on Wednesday, they will go past West Indies greats Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, who currently hold the record for the fastest pair to reach 5000 ODI runs in 97 innings. They are followed by Australia's Matthew Hayden/Adam Gilchrist (104), Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan/Kumar Sangakkara (105).
Interestingly, the current quickest Indian pair to 5000 ODI runs also features Rohit. He did it with Shikhar Dhawan in 112 innings.
Rohit and Kohli will also become the first non-opening Indian pair to score 5000 ODI runs. Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly hold the world record for most runs as a pair in ODIs. They have 8227 runs in 176 innings.
