India captain Rohit Sharma silenced speculation over his ODI future with a gritty half-century against England in the third ODI at Lord's on Sunday. Chasing a daunting target, the veteran opener combined with Shubman Gill for a crucial partnership to keep India's hopes alive, producing a timely reminder of his class amid growing retirement rumours.
Chasing a mammoth 388 to win, the onus was on Rohit to deliver India a perfect start. The 39-year-old had a poor outing in the previous two games of the series and came into the series decider under immense pressure. The build up to the Lord's ODI was all of it being the former India captain's final game for the Men in Blue.
Rohit silenced those critics in style, rolling back the years with his measured strokeplay. With Shubman Gill going strong at the other end, Sharma ensured that he did not give his wicket away and kept plucking the gaps with ease. He eventually reached his half-century in 50 balls, the 63rd of his career.
