Rohit Sharma: Getting The Blues In White!

With the phenomenal ability he possesses, the heart wants Rohit Sharma to fire even in Test cricket. But when it comes to the head, one is almost convinced that Sharma’s days​ in India whites are all but numbered. Hope he proves us wrong! 

- Amol Karhadkar

In his first three innings in the New Year, Rohit Sharma, donning the India Blues in ODIs, has tallied 301 runs. That’s just 25 runs less than what he managed to achieve in white flannels in 13 innings all through 2015.

Being the enigma that he has been ever since making his first class debut almost a decade ago — you read it right, almost a decade — more than adoring his successive centuries Down Under, one cannot help but wonder if Sharma is on the verge of being stamped only as a limited overs batsman.

The numbers hint towards an affirmative answer. If one were given an option to label the Borivali bomber based on his performance on the field, one would go with a flat-track bully rather than a limited overs specialist.

In no way does one mean to demean the stylish batsman, who along with his namesake pacer has been the most backed player in the India dressing room over the last decade. In fact, if Sharma has to continue to flourish at the top of the order in Twenty20s and ODIs, the sooner he accepts the reality, the better it would be for his career.

A closer look at Sharma’s career reveals that 2013 was the breakthrough year for him. He was promoted to the top of the order for the last two ODIs of yet another insignificant bilateral series at home, against England in January 2013, and he seized the opportunity, scoring 83 off 93 balls in his first innings in Mohali.