‘An innings to remember’: Former India cricketer hopes Rohit Sharma signs century if Lord’s ODI is his last

Amid speculation that Sunday’s third and final ODI against England at Lord’s could be Rohit Sharma’s last international appearance, former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel believes the former captain is capable of scoring an unforgettable century.As reported by TOI earlier, the selection committee has decided that he will not be the first player after England’s series on Sunday. As it stands, Sunday’s match could be the 39-year-old’s last for India. Rohit has already retired from Test cricket and T20 Internationals.Patel said the Indian opener has repeatedly shown throughout his career to respond strongly after a lean run and expects to do so again if Sunday’s match turns out to be his last.“If Lord’s ODI is really the last match of his career, Rohit Sharma would like to score a century. He is more than capable of that. We have seen it throughout his career – after two or three low scores, he often bounces back with a winning knock in the very next innings,” Patel told ‘JioStar’.“The gap between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has always been consistent. Rohit may not score heavily in every match but when he does, he plays a big innings and often ends up winning the Player of the Match award. He didn’t look comfortable in this game,” he added, referring to Rohit’s 47-ball 26 in India’s defeat in the second ODI in Cardiff.Patel said Rohit struggled to adjust to the changing bounce in Cardiff and could never settle into his innings, but backed him to answer his critics again.“But this is another opportunity for him to silence his critics. It has happened many times before and he has always responded with the bat. So if Lord’s ODI is indeed his last match, I hope he plays an innings that people will remember for a long time,” said the former wicketkeeper-batsman.