3 reasons why Rohit Sharma should have been included in Test squad against Windies

India registered their seventh Asia Cup title after a thrilling contest against Bangladesh which went down till the last ball. Before the tournament began, Pakistan team was the firm favourites to win, but it was the Indian team who clinched the title.

In the absence of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma led the team beautifully both with the captaincy and with the bat. He was also spot on with his bowling changes and shown great leadership skills. He scored the runs consistently and accumulated 317 runs in five matches with one century and two fifties.

It was expected that Rohit could make into the Test squad after a superb performance with the bat but was left out. Considering the middle order fragility and Rohit's form, the selectors might have out missed the trick to strengthen it.

Let us find the reasons why Rohit should have been included in the Test series against West Indies.

#3 Sublime form

Rohit has in great form in the ODI format

Rohit Sharma has been in sensational form this year and has looked completely different batsman. In this year, he has scored 641 runs in 14 matches at an average of 58.27 with three centuries and two fifties.

As a result of this consistent performance, the Hitman has claimed the no.2 spot in the ICC ODI rankings and is only behind Virat Kohli. When the Test squad was announced for the West Indies series, Rohit was surprisingly missing from the team.

Rohit has played with maturity and has finished games for India. He has enjoyed his purple patch in the limited overs format, and his form could have added the solidity the middle order line-up.

#2 Strong technique

Rohit's technique against short ball could be crucial on Australian pitches

Rohit Sharma has strong technique and plays aggressive cricket when on a song. His positive approach can help the Indian team to bounce back from any situation and can counterattack the opposition.

Rohit is one of the few Indian batsmen who plays the pull shot to perfection and scores the runs off short deliveries. He has a range of strokes and his ability to pick up the lengths and could be more than handy on Australian pitches where there is an extra bounce in the pitches.

Rohit has shown that he is quite prepared to take on the short stuff, whereas most of the Indian batsmen struggle against short balls.

The Mumbai boy is extremely strong off the backfoot which allows him to ride the bounce of the ball particularly well as he braces up for a cut stroke or a backfoot punch. He plays the spinners well and takes the attack to them if required.

Rohit has already played a few Tests in Australia which makes him a good candidate for the Down Under series which is why he should have been selected in the West Indies series.

#1 Excellent record in Australia

Rohit has an excellent ODI batting record in Australia

India will be playing against Australia after the West Indies series which means the team will have only two Tests to get the combination right. Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, has played a lot of cricket on Australian soil and scored the runs consistently.

The Hitman has played 27 ODI matches and scored 1143 runs at an average of 51.95 with four centuries and four fifties. He could be more than handy in the Down Under series who likes to play on the bouncy track and loves to play the short ball.

Rohit has a decent record in Test format against the Aussies on their home turf. He has scored 173 runs in three Tests at an average of 28.83 with one half-century. The Test series against Carribean team would have been the perfect springboard for the in-form Rohit.