How has Rohit Sharma fared against left-arm pacers in ODIs?
Rohit Sharma had a poor outing in the 2nd ODI against Australia in Vizag. The Indian skipper fell prey to Mitchell Starc's out-swinging delivery early on in the innings. While he has been a stalwart for India in limited-overs cricket, his tendencies to get out to left-arm pacers are quite evident. Rohit has scored briskly against them but has also been vulnerable.
Why does this story matter?
The Indian captain is one of the most prolific run-scorers in ODI cricket. Rohit is the sixth-highest Indian run-scorer in this format. He will lead India's batting in the upcoming 50-over World Cup. While he enjoys playing pacers, left-arm pacers trouble him with the ball swinging in. He either gets trapped in front or misses the ball that shapes away.
Rohit's record against left-arm seamers
Rohit has hammered 1,442 runs in 117 ODIs at 48.06 against the left-arm pacers. However, he has lost his wicket 30 times to these bowlers. From Mohammad Amir to Starc, the Indian captain has been outfoxed by left-arm pacers on several occasions.
Rohit's numbers against Starc (ODIs)
Rohit has slammed 108 runs against Mitchell Starc in the nine innings. But the speedster has dismissed him three times. His average against Starc is also 36. Among other left-arm speedsters, Rohit has been dismissed four times by New Zealand's Trent Boult and thrice against Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman. Overall, Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews has dismissed him most times in this format (7 dismissals).
Here's a look at his ODI numbers against Australia
Rohit always tends to rise to the occasion and when India plays against Australia, the Indian captain is always looking to lead from the front. The Aussies are his favorite opposition in this format. He has hammered 2,221 runs in 44 matches at a splendid average of 60.02 against the Kangaroos (100s: 8, 50s: 8). Even in Australia, he has scored 1,328 at 53.12.
How Rohit has fared in ODIs
Ever since he made his debut in 2007, Rohit has been a stalwart in ODI cricket for India. He was promoted as an opener in 2013, which changed his career completely. Playing in his 242nd ODI, Rohit has amassed 9,795 runs at 48.73. He has smashed 48 fifties and 30 centuries. He has slammed three double-centuries in this format.
How did the match pan out?
Steven Smith won the toss and invited India to bat first. Starc did the rest with the ball, reducing the hosts to 49/5 inside 10 overs. Only Virat Kohli (31) and Axar Patel (29*) crossed the 20-run mark as India folded for 117. Starc finished with 5/53. In reply, Australian openers Travis Head (51*) and Mitchell Marsh (66*) steered them home in 11 overs.
