Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli added another remarkable chapter to their legendary careers on Sunday, July 19, at Lord’s, as the Indian duo became the first pair from the country to complete 400 international appearances together. In the third and final ODI against England, the two senior batters once again stood shoulder to shoulder in a high-pressure chase, reminding fans why they remain one of the most trusted partnerships in Indian cricket.
Rohit marked the occasion with a stunning 138 off 110 balls, producing a vintage knock at a time when speculation around his ODI future had been dominating headlines. Chasing a massive target of 388, he and Kohli stitched together a fluent 113-run stand in just 86 balls, with Kohli contributing a classy 74 off 60 deliveries. For a large part of the chase, India looked well in control, with the experienced pair keeping the scoreboard moving and the pressure firmly on England.
Speaking after the match, Rohit Sharma said batting alongside Kohli always feels special because of the deep understanding they share. The Mumbai batter explained that their long years together at the international level allow them to communicate constantly in the middle and build partnerships with clarity and confidence.
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“We’ve played our entire career together, so, you know, it was nice to have him in the middle. You know, we’ve had lot of partnerships. It’s always fun batting together, we understand each other so much, and it’s always nice in the middle, bouncing off ideas, try to see what we can do, so there was lot of conversation that was going around in between when we were batting,” Rohit Sharma said to the BCCI.
Rohit’s innings carried even greater significance because he had scored just 11 and 26 in the first two ODIs of the series. With retirement rumours building before the Lord’s clash, the veteran opener responded in the strongest possible way, bringing up India’s first-ever ODI century by a batter at the Home of Cricket.
He also brushed aside the outside noise with a calm and measured response, making it clear that his focus remains entirely on performing for India. According to Rohit, criticism and speculation have followed him since debut, and that background chatter will always exist. What matters to him is contributing with the bat and helping the team succeed.
“Look, my job is with the bat, come and play, represent my country, represent the team, that’s what I’ve been told to do since I made my debut, so that’s what I’m going to do,” Rohit Sharma said. “What matters is what I do on the field, try and contribute to the success of the team, that’s all my focus is right now.”
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The elegant right-hander also ended the series as the overseas batter with the most ODI runs in England, with 1,630 runs in 30 innings at an average of 64.12. His eight ODI centuries in England now place him level with Marcus Trescothick for the second-most by any batter in the country.
