Indian skipper Rohit Sharma is back in Mumbai to play the third and final Test match against New Zealand. The home team has already lost the first two Test matches in Bengaluru and Pune. Both those losses meant that India had lost their first-ever home series at home since 2012.
Rohit Sharma will be playing a Test in Mumbai after 9 years, 11 months and 16 days. His only game at his home ground came against West Indies. That game was the last ever international match for Sachin Tendulkar. Rohit had in fact made his Test debut during the same series.
After the 2013 game, India has played two Test matches at this venue. Virat Kohli had led the sides in 2016 and 2021 when Mumbai played hosts to England and New Zealand. Ajaz Patel had picked all ten wickets in an innings during the 2021 game. Mayank Agarwal’s century meant that India won the game and also took the series.
Rohit Sharma’s sweet homecoming in Mumbai
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma’s only Test at his home venue in Mumbai came in 2013 against West Indies. The visitors batted first and were bowled out for just 182 runs. Pragyan Ojha picked 5/40 in the first innings in what turned out to be his final game.
India responded with 495 all out in 108 innings to take a massive lead of 313 runs. Cheteshwar Pujara scored 113, while star batter Sachin Tendulkar scored 74 runs off 118 balls. That was the last time he came out to bat for India in what was his 200th and final game for the national team.
Rohit Sharma batted at number 7 for India with skipper MS Dhoni batting at 8. The then 26-year-old scored 111 not out which came off 127 balls with 11 fours and 3 sixes. Rohit had scored a brilliant 177 in Kolkata to make his Test debut in style.
West Indies were all out for 187 in their 2nd innings as India won the game by an innings and 126 runs. Ojha for the second time in the game picked a fifer to end the game with 10/89.
Till now Rohit has played just one Test in Mumbai having missed the 2016 and 2021 matches. India’s skipper wasn’t in contention for a Test spot when Kohli’s team played England in 2016. Five years later, Rohit missed the game against New Zealand owing to fitness.
In the only game, Rohit has played in Mumbai he has scored 111 runs with a strike rate of 87. Since he wasn’t dismissed in the innings, India’s skipper doesn’t have an average at this venue. Fans in Mumbai will hope that the 37-year-old can find inspiration from the game and get back to his top run-scoring form.
Trivia – Mumbai Test in 2013, wasn’t just the final game for Sachin Tendulkar. It was also the last ever Test for Pragyan Ojha who wasn’t considered for selection thereafter. MS Dhoni also played his last ever Test in India at this venue. The former Indian skipper retired from the format a year later without playing a Test match at home.