Is it time to move on from Rohit Sharma in Tests?

The 6th of January 2015- seemed just like any other day although it wasn’t. It was a normal Tuesday, the first of the year; reminding you that although the years have changed, your Tuesday mornings haven’t. Except for one little detail, everything was same, while in a way, everything was never the same.

Skip ahead to 9 August 2016, and we have another Tuesday staring at us. The two dates have absolutely nothing in common, except that if closely looked upon, the two provide extreme responses to the narrative – How to fit Rohit Sharma in India’s Test XI.

Rohit Sharma is a player who keeps on drawing identical amounts of appreciation as well as criticism from fans and critics worldwide. While many view him as a talent just on the cusp of unleashing his potential in Test cricket; presenting his ODI record as a proof, others simply question the disproportionate number of chances he has got in comparison to players like Manoj Tiwari, Manish Pandey or Kedhar Jadhav, who have been shown the door far too soon for far too long.

While the puzzle of Rohit Sharma – the limited overs batsman is settled, for the time being, today we try to have a look at Rohit Sharma- the Test player and whether it is time for India to move on from him.

The right-handed Indian, part of the International cricket scene since 2007-08 was in line to make his debut in the first Test against South Africa in February 2010; although it was more a case of selector’s gift rather than him forcing his way in. Selected as a backup for the injured VVS Laxman, he too suffered a freak injury just 15 minutes before the play and was replaced by the unlikely debutant Wriddhiman Saha.

Initial burst

After such a series of events, it took another three years for Rohit Sharma to get another, although his first stint at Test cricket. And for a while, it seemed he was eager to make up on lost time-slamming two hundreds in his first two innings. This is how rosy it seemed for Rohit in the longer format at one point of time-

Matches	Runs	Highest Score	Average	100s	50s
2	288	177	288.00	2	-

The long lull

It seemed Rohit Sharma had finally arrived. Well, if only. After such a gargantuan start to his Test career, Rohit has slipped, bit by bit; innings after innings, match after match; from prodigious to seasoned, to acceptable and now nearing mediocrity. His technique against quality swing bowling in Test cricket, where time at the crease is more valued than some quick runs, has been exposed.

His patience has been put to test, and if not conquered, it has been challenged far too easily for a batsman of his reputation. Barring one 72 against New Zealand in Auckland, or one 50 each against Australia and Sri Lanka, Rohit has largely failed to deliver as a Test player. This is how his test record currently stands-

Matches	Innings	Runs	High Score	Average	100s	50s
19*	33	1049	177	34.96	2	5

It is clear that Rohit Sharma as a Test player hasn’t reached that next level. While it can be debated that he has got a stop and start run in Test matches, 19 matches should be more than enough for a batsman to prove his credentials in the Test arena. There are innumerable people in the waiting line, hoping for a single chance to prove themselves.

India’s obsession with Rohit is nothing new considering the cases of Suresh Raina or Yuvraj Singh. What binds the three of them is their noteworthy performances in limited overs cricket which allowed them preferential treatment when it came to Test team selections more than once.

Where does he stand in comparison?

Also, to bring the whole picture upfront, we try to see where other batsmen of the Indian Test team were at a similar stage in their careers-

Player Name	Matches	Innings	Runs	High Score	Average	100s	50s
Murali Vijay	19	31	1153	167	37.19	3	3
Chesteshwar Pujara	19	32	1650	206*	58.92	6	4
Virat Kohli	19	31	1178	116	40.62	4	6
Ajinkya Rahane	19	36	1370	147	41.51	4	7

What next?

It is quite clear where Rohit stands among his compatriots, some of whom came much later onto the international circuit but were able to move ahead of him due to their consistent performances while Rohit couldn’t really string a succession of scores in Test cricket.

While the knock he played in the second innings in the first Test against New Zealand points is a good beginning to a long home season, not much can be made out of it. If he sustains such a run of form in the coming days, it will be both beneficial to him as well as the team. But the way he got out in the first innings still points to his lack of temperament the longer format.

If Rohit doesn't click in the next two-three Tests, it finally might be time for the selectors to try out a few other players rather than sticking to the captains’ favourite. While the door for Rohit Sharma’s test entry shouldn’t be closed totally, the ODI performances should not be the key to it anymore.

*Stats have been updated till the first Test between India and New Zealand between September 22-26, 2016.