Rohit Sharma nudges the first ball of the innings—a short-of-length delivery from David Willey—towards short leg. He wanted to take a quick single straight away and looked at Shikhar Dhawan at the non-striker’s end. Hesitated a bit. Dhawan was not napping but was not sure about the single either. Yet responded quickly. He was running towards the danger end as the fielder was so close to the stumps. And he would never have made it safely to the crease, had Bairstow—rushing in from mid-wicket—managed a direct hit.
There was never a single to be run. But the duo had some conversation, only their eyes would know, and set off for one. Dhawan would have made a comeback with a diamond duck. Yet ran away. Responding to your partner’s call is what partnerships are all about! As Rohit knew he wasn’t going to be attacked, he turned back to look if Dhawan was safe, even before he had reached the non-striker’s end. Partnerships are also about looking after your partner. Hence, when Dhawan struggled to score freely, Rohit took the lead role and pulled—already distant match—away from England.
“We do understand each other quite well, except the first ball where there was a little bit of mix-up. He is playing in ODI cricket after a long time. So it was just a misjudgement, but then we started batting well together,” Rohit said at the post-match presentation about their partnership.
Rohit-Dhawan pair gives that sense of comfort and assurance. Hope this pair remains intact till the next WC.
— `ryan (@ryandesa_7) July 12, 2022
The last time Rohit and Dhawan opened for India was just a few months back in February 2022 in the third ODI against West Indies. But yet it seems like the duo has been in a long-distance relationship for quite some time. And rightly so, since Dhawan has been in and out of the Indian white-ball circuit in recent times. Even during the ODIs against West Indies, Rohit had different partners in the first two games.
The duo opened together for the first time—nine years, one month, and six days back — in the 2013 Champions Trophy. The tournament revolutionised a new-look Indian team as the inexperienced side won the trophy. The pair wasn’t a fan favourite initially as stalwarts like Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were dropped from the squad. However, the pair established themselves on the field, in the record books, and the heart of fans. So much so that the fans were elated to see Dhawan back at the top of the order with Rohit. Albeit, this might be the last time the duo is seen opening in England, where the love affair started.
Since 2013, the two batters have partnered with each other 113 times, of which they have opened 112 times. The duo reached a milestone of 5,000 opening-partnership runs at an average of 46.43 on Tuesday as they stitched their eighteenth century stand. Their opening-partnership tally of 5,108 runs is the fourth-best overall and second-best for India. And, their tally of 18 hundred-run opening partnerships is the second-best overall.
Sachin-Ganguly, Gilchrist-Hayden, Cook-Strauss, Sachin-Sehwag, Greenidge-Haynes, and Atapattu-Jayasuriya are some of the names that come to mind while thinking about elite opening pairs. Will Rohit-Dhawan be added to the list? Are they one of the greatest opening pairs of all time?
To start the answer, they have opened together 112 times which is the third-highest of all time, only next to Sachin-Ganguly (136) and Gilchrist-Hayden (114). Their first two opening partnerships were 100-run stands. Interestingly, they had never opened together in a practice match either before that. The feat explains the understanding between the two.
To show the result of their performance, India have won 27 of 33 matches wherein the duo has had a partnership of more than 50 runs.
Above all these run-riots, records, and victories is the level of comfort the opening partnership of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan gives. Not only to the fans but also to the dressing room.
Trivia
Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan first time had a partnership for the fourth wicket against West Indies in Port of Spain in 2011. The duo scored 43 runs.
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