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Rohit ton powers India to 212-4 in Afghanistan T20 / Photo: © AFP
Rohit ton powers India to 212-4 in Afghanistan T20
Skipper Rohit Sharma became the first batsman in Twenty20 internationals to hit five centuries as he propelled India to 212-4 after a top-order collapse in the third match against Afghanistan on Wednesday.
India slipped to 22-4 with star batsman Virat Kohli out for a first-ball duck after they elected to bat first in the team's bid to sweep the three-match series in Bengaluru.
But Rohit, who went past Australia's Glenn Maxwell and Suryakumar Yadav -- both with four tons -- smashed 121 off 69 balls and put on an unbeaten stand of 190 with Rinku Singh, who hit 69.
It was raining sixes in the final five overs when India plundered 103 runs. Rohit and the left-handed Rinku smashed 36 off the final over, which included a six off a no-ball.
The hosts, who clinched the series after two wins, are playing their final T20 international before the T20 World Cup in June.
Left-arm quick Fareed Ahmad Malik returned figures of 3-20 and caused early damage with the wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal (four), Kohli and Sanju Samson, also out for a golden duck.
Rohit, who failed to score in the previous two games, rebuilt the innings and then tore into the opposition attack as he hit 11 fours and eight sixes to go past his previous T20 best of 118.
Fareed had rattled India with his varying line and length to silence the large home crowd, but Rohit and Rinku, who hit six sixes in his 39-ball blitz, raised the roof with their power-hitting.
H. Müller--BTZ
