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Rohit Sharma long way off in proving Sachin Tendulkar’s prophecy true

Rohit Shama has somewhat struggled in the longest format of the game and this has been a dampener in his chequered career so far.

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Rohit Sharma in action during his debut series against West Indies © PTI
Rohit Sharma in action during his debut series against West Indies © PTI

It is always intriguing to see many of the former cricketing greats not excelling as much as they did as players when they become a part of the backroom staff in whatever capacity. The cricketing folklore is replete with many of the greatest captains, batsmen and even bowlers not being the same force behind the scenes. But their cricketing brain keeps working all the time, they read the game as well as they used to in their playing days, and their opinions carry immense value for the sport. Sachin Tendulkar is one such example. ALSO READ: Rohit Sharma 264 vs Sri Lanka: Highest ever ODI score

It was Tendulkar who had warned England of a resurgent Mitchell Johnson before the Ashes 2013-14. No one knows what England did to tackle Johnson, but the tearaway Australian pacer proved devastating. It was Tendulkar who had picked Mitchell Starc as the one to watch out for, ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.

And it was Tendulkar who picked out two young Indian batsmen in particular — Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli — to carry the baton of the Indian batting forward and even break his records as he walked away from the game about three years ago. ALSO READ: Dear Rohit Sharma, shine on!

While Kohli has embarked on the journey of ending up as a cricketing great, Rohit, who hails from Tendulkar’s hometown Mumbai, has only been able to cement his place in the Indian limited-overs sides. Kohli’s feats have come all over the world (barring England, where he had a poor Test tour in 2014), but Rohit has struggled in the longest format of the game and this has been a dampener in his chequered career so far.

Rohit remains an integral part of Kohli’s plans in Test cricket. Rohit’s aggressive batting style goes in accord with the aggressiveness that Kohli desires from his wards, but the past records suggest that his plans can yield complete results only as long as India plays Test cricket in the subcontinent. ALSO READ: Rohit Sharma 264: The joy of watching it live at Eden Gardens

The last tour of Australia in 2014-15 provided a glimpse to the future to many. Kohli’s India provided a strong example of how the team will fight for every inch, and by setting strong examples, there is not much room for errors. In a batting line-up which witnesses intense competition between batsmen of incredible talents, Rohit faces a tough challenge to prove his mettle and show that he is someone who can excel across formats in different conditions and situations.

Rohit began his Test career with bang in Tendulkar’s last series, smashing two centuries against a lowly West Indies at home. Since then, he has not scored a century. They have been occasional sparks of brilliance — he scored attractive fifties in New Zealand, Australia, and Sri Lanka. But a batsman who has the knack of registering  big scores in limited-overs cricket would know that he has not played up to his potential as far as Test cricket is concerned.

The next 12 months will be extremely critical for India and Rohit. There are as many as 17 Tests lined up — 4 against West Indies, 5 against England, 4 expected against Australia and 2 each expected against Bangladesh and New Zealand. While the four-match series will be played in the Caribbean, India is going to have a long run in Test cricket at home and it presents a very strong opportunity to them and Rohit to consolidate their position.

With his super-human feats in ODIs — no one will ever forget his 264 against Sri Lanka — Rohit has proven that he has it in him to touch unprecedented heights. The wait to see him to the same in Test cricket goes on.

(Devarchit Varma is senior writer with CricketCountry. He can be followed on Twitter @Devarchit)

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