In the third ODI against Afghanistan at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Rohit was dismissed for 79 during India’s chase of 219. On paper, it was another innings that stopped short of three figures. In context, however, it was much more important than a missed hundred. This was Rohit answering a question that has followed him through the series: how much is still left in the tank?Rohit Sharma during the third ODI between India and Afghanistan. (PTI)The start was not entirely smooth. Afghanistan had already been penalised five runs before India’s chase began, and Yashasvi Jaiswal immediately brought urgency from the other end. Rohit, meanwhile, had his early uncertain moments. A top edge fell safely. Another chance went begging in bizarre fashion. But once he settled, the familiar rhythm returned - the pull, the sweep, the wristy hit through midwicket, the easy acceleration against spin.His half-century came off 47 balls, and for a brief period, it looked like the knock was heading towards a statement hundred. Instead, Rohit fell for 79, short of what would have been one of the most significant centuries of his ODI career.Rohit delays history, but makes his pointHad Rohit Sharma reached three figures, he would have become the oldest Indian to score an ODI century. Sachin Tendulkar holds that mark among Indians, having scored an ODI hundred at 38 years and 327 days. Rohit, at 39 years and 51 days, would have gone past him.He would also have become the first Indian batter to score an ODI century after turning 39. That milestone still remains within his reach. Unlike some records that disappear with one dismissal, this one has only been postponed. Every time he gets close to an ODI hundred, from here will carry that possibility.There were other numbers waiting too. A century in Chennai would have been Rohit’s 34th ODI hundred and his 51st international hundred. It would also have placed him alongside Geoffrey Boycott on the list of the oldest players to score an ODI century, with Boycott’s hundred coming at 39 years and 51 days.Also Read: IND vs AFG Live Score, 3rd ODI 2026: Nabi removes Rohit for 79, spotlight on Jaiswal as India close in on winThat exact date-specific marker has gone. The broader history has not.What made the knock more valuable was the timing. Rohit had not had the most convincing return to the format in this series. There had been talk around age, long-term planning and India’s road to the 2027 ODI World Cup. In that setting, a fluent 79 was not just a personal innings. It was a reminder that Rohit’s ODI game is not built only on reflexes, but on range, rhythm and an understanding of tempo.The century would have made the headline cleaner. The records would have made it grander. But even without three figures, Rohit’s Chennai knock did enough to shift the conversation.For now, history waits. Rohit does not look finished chasing it.