Rohit Sharma’s Record Under Lights: A Detailed Look at His Pink-Ball Test Performances

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India's veteran batsman and skipper, Rohit Sharma, is set to return to action in the second Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Adelaide, which is slated to be held on December 6 (9:30 AM IST). The veteran missed the series opener in Perth owing to the birth of his son.

The seasoned cricketer arrived in Australia on Sunday, November 24, and made his presence felt in the pavilion on Day 4 of the Perth Test alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir. He trained rigorously in Mumbai during his absence but he missed team preparation sessions designed to adapt to Australian conditions.

However, the batter wasted no time acclimating, putting in significant effort during net sessions with the pink ball recently. Before the Adelaide Test, India will also play a two-day pink-ball game against the Prime Minister's XI. This will give Rohit and the team a great chance to sharpen their skills under lights. Let's delve into Rohit Sharma's record in day-night Tests.

Rohit Sharma's Record in Pink-Ball Tests

In India's maiden pink-ball Test, Rohit Sharma opened the innings against Bangladesh, where he scored 21 runs in the game, which India dominated the match and won by an innings and 46 runs at Eden Gardens, Kolkata in 2019.

His performance was not up to the mark against the Tigers but he was a lone warrior against England in the 2021 Test at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, when India was dismissed for just 145 runs on a spin-friendly surface. In the second innings, he scored an unbeaten 25 and helped India beat England by 10 wickets.

In India's most recent pink-ball Test against Sri Lanka at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru in 2022, the Indian skipper contributed 15 and 46 runs across two innings. While it was not a match-defining performance, his second-innings knock provided stability and helped India post a commanding total (303/9). India bundled out the Lankans for 208 and churned out a 238-run win.

Rohit was absent during India's infamous pink-ball Test in Adelaide during the 2020-21 series, where India was bowled out for a historic low of 36 runs in the second innings, their lowest-ever total in Test history.

The Nagpur-born who scored 173 runs in 5 innings (pink-ball Tests), will be looking forward to making an impact in the upcoming Test. The conditions at Adelaide, especially under lights, are known to favour fast bowlers with the pink ball offering significant swing and seam.

As an opener, he will need to weather the new ball, especially during twilight and night sessions when the pink ball is at its most ferocious. It will be quite interesting to see how Rohit goes about his business in the upcoming game.