Rohit Sharma's consistent Test performances deserve more credit

What’s the story?

Amidst the superlative run of Indian captain, Virat Kohli, the performances of Rohit Sharma in Test cricket have slipped under the radar.

The Mumbai batsman is in the midst of a purple patch in whites as he has now managed to score 50 or more in his last five innings, a feat which deserves to be spoken about.

The details

Rohit has not been a permanent member of the Test side and thus he has never received a long run in this format.

However, in an unassuming manner, he has done enough to warrant selection for the first Test in South Africa.

With scores of 102*, 65, and 50* in the three innings he has played this series, the right-hander has screamed for attention.

His sporadic chances in this format can be gauged from the fact that before the Nagpur Test, he last played a Test match against New Zealand in September 2016. Before getting injured, Rohit scored 82 and 51* in Kolkata and Indore respectively.

Thus, in the last five Test innings, he has scores of 82, 51*, 102*, 65 and 50* at an average of 175.

In case you didn’t know…

Rohit has been included in the Test squad which will tour South Africa and if the Indian management decides to go in with six specialist batsmen, his name will certainly feature in the playing XI.

Also, he will captain the limited-overs teams against Sri Lanka as Virat Kohli has been rested and this will be another opportunity for him to bolster his chances.

What’s next?

After the Test series gets over, Rohit will take charge of the Indian limited-overs squads and his leadership credentials will be put to the test.

However, runs in coloured clothing could well make a stronger case for him when India's Test team take the field.

Author’s take

With Ajinkya Rahane's form slipping away, Rohit could not have chosen a more opportune moment to accumulate runs and these performances could well have convinced the Indian team to give him a go instead of Rahane in South Africa.