India vs South Africa: Rohit Sharma at par with Donald Bradman - As things stand

In cricket it is almost blasphemy to take the name of any other batsman in the same breath as Sir Donald Bradman. Be it Sachin Tendulkar or now Steve Smith, there is always a comparison with the master based on different parameters but the Don remains the greatest ever.

For those who haven’t seen the Aussie legend live, it is his almost machine-like efficiency in amassing runs that stand out and that is why whenever someone comes close to his astronomical batting averages, it becomes a matter of unique interest. One man, who currently holds the distinction of matching one of Bradman’s great numbers is India’s brand new Test opener, Rohit Sharma.

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Rohit scored a century on Day 1 of the first Test against South Africa on Wednesday, in what was his maiden innings as India’s opener. He thus extended a stellar home record in the longest format and his average of 98.22 at stumps on Day 1 is the same as that of Bradman. This is the highest average for a batsman with 10 or more innings at home.

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The Indian opener is still unbeaten and has a chance to improve his average further. While there is no chance of comparing the two batsmen as Rohit has a lot to prove in red-ball cricket, this piece of statistic though could inspire the Indian to conquer the greatest challenge of his career.

He has been an established batsman in the limited overs formats of the game and is currently one of the best in the world. His Test career though has been a disappointment over the years as he has failed to reproduce his home form in matches abroad, often drawing criticism for the way he has given his wicket away.