India vs South Africa: Twitter heaps praise on Rohit Sharma as opener slams maiden Test double ton against Proteas

Rohit Sharma struck his maiden double century in Test cricket to put India on course for a big total against South Africa on day two of the third Test match on Sunday. The in-form opener reached the milestone with a six off paceman Lungi Ngidi in the third over after lunch to a standing ovation from the raucous home crowd in Ranchi.

In this process, he became only the 4th batsman to hit a double hundred in Test and ODI cricket after the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, and Chris Gayle.

He hit another six off Ngidi before falling to pacer Kagiso Rabada for 212 and returned to the pavilion with handshakes from the South African side.

Sharma, who hit twin centuries in his debut as Test opener at the start of the series, pulled India out of early trouble with his 267-run fourth-wicket stand with Ajinkya Rahane, who made 115.

The senior batsman, playing his 30th Test, surpassed his previous best of 177 during his debut game against the West Indies in 2013.

The Hitman's double ton has put the hosts in a commanding position as they aim for a whitewash after already taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Meanwhile, Twitter exploded after having witnessed a blistering double ton from the Hitman's blade. Here's a look at how Twitterati reacted to his heroics:

With inputs from AFP