When Rohit Sharma made his Test debut after a long awaited wait in 2013, he arrived with a bang, with two Test hundreds in his first two Tests, and big ones at that. To make things special, it was also Sachin Tendulkar's farewell series. Rohit played his part in giving Tendulkar the perfect farewell, at the legend's home ground at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai (also Rohit's). At that stage it seemed, Rohit was set for a long career in the longer format of the game. But, a little under three years down the line, his place in the Test team is being constantly questioned. And, the New Zealand series will be crucial for Rohit in a big way.
The problem with Rohit, as it was during the early part of his ODI career, is the fact that he doesn't seem to possess the concentration for the long haul. He has corrected the flaw in his one-day career with two brilliant double hundreds. But, to save his career, he needs to do the same in the Test format as well. Rohit's numbers tell a story of how disappointing he has been. After 18 Tests, he averages a mediocre 32, with two hundreds and four fifties. As mentioned earlier, Rohit got two hundreds in his first two Tests, which means he has gone ton-less in 16 games. And, four fifties are not good enough considering he has been batting at six.
The most disappointing aspect of Rohit's batting has been the fact that he has got out after getting starts on numerous occasions. Had he got his act in order, Rohit would have done much better than the two hundreds and four fifties he has to show so far. Rohit has got into a habit of getting out close to a session in recent times. This is a clear indication of him losing his focus earlier that needed. He will need to work on improving this aspect of his game, since 30s, 40s and even 50s do not actually mean a lot in Test cricket, most of the times. If he doesn't do so, Rohit's career might also end up going the Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina way, which would be most unfortunate.
Although Rohit has not played too many games, it wouldn't be wrong to say that he has been given a decent run at one go, but has failed to utilise his opportunities. In fact, the captain and management has been most accommodating, and has even given him a chance to bat at the crucial number three position. The logic behind that being that Rohit's attacking game could put the opposition bowlers under pressure. But, the case has quite been the opposite. Rohit has failed to make use of his chances at the number three slot as well. The batsman has tried to go after the bowling even before getting his eye in, and that has proved to be a bane.
In a sense, the New Zealand series could be a make or break one, as far as Rohit's Test career is concerned. With Cheteshwar Pujara roaring back to form in domestic cricket with two big hundreds in the Duleep Trophy, he is sure to retain his place in the team, at number three. If at all Rohit plays, it will be at number six. But, with Virat Kohli keen on the five-bowler theory, there is every chance of him missing out. The success of Wriddhiman Saha and Ravichandran Ashwin with the bat should embolden India to carry on with the ploy. Thus, if Rohit gets a chance, he must make sure, he doesn't waste it.
--By A Cricket Analyst
