Rohit Sharma as Test Opener?

Mumbai: Team India's Limited overs Vice-captain, The only player in the world with three double hundreds in one-day internationals, has been in and out of the test team. Perhaps its time for Rohit Sharma to walk the same path what Virender Sehwag did in 2002.

Team India's long trailing opening vows in test cricket continues. Since Sehwag and Gambhir Team India are yet to find a settled opening combination in Test Cricket. The same happened in limited overs format after the likes of Sachin Tendulkar-Virender Sehwag-Gautam Gambhir faded away from the team. 

Back then Rohit Sharma was just a common middle order batsman. Since he started opening in 2013 his career took off. Climbing greater heights and breaking records Rohit Sharma at the moment is the best limited overs Opener in the World. 

From Jan 2013-Jan 2019
Courtesy:news18

Rohit Sharma's numbers as an opener is absolutely staggering. He has reached heights of greatness in just 6 years as opener and stands atop a wonderful list of players to grace the game of cricket.

Rohit has been very crucial to India’s success in the last six years as his winning average (average when India has won) of 74.07suggests. It is the highest winning average amongst all openers in this period. 15 of his 20 hundreds have also come when India has won – again the maximum for an opener in a winning cause.

India has won 37 of the 51 matches when Rohit has scored 40 or more opening the innings in an ODI in this time-frame.

Rohit has averaged above 50 in all calendar years since 2013 – i.e. in six consecutive years – such has been his consistency.

Courtesy: CricTracker

Rohit Sharma in Test cricket was on and off at times. He is yet to cement his place in the test squad. His recent numbers in last 20 test innings are not that bad, 20 innings 713 runs with 6 fifties and a hundred.

Rohit Sharma has never played three continuous test matches since he debut for Team India. He has never been given that extended run in test cricket to prove his mantle while other players were fed with ample chances.

With KL Rahul failing to perform since 2017, Perhaps its time for Rohit Sharma to take up the challenge of opening in test cricket and follow the footsteps of Virender Sehwag. We all know what a player Sehwag became after he started opening for India.

KL Rahul after the England tour has managed to score just 189 runs in 11 innings at an average of 17. Prithwi Shaw who debuted India earlier this year as an opener is under ban for doping violations and will miss the home series against South Africa.

Earlier twitterati slammed Virat Kohli for his biased selection of KL Rahul after failing to perform since 2017. While players like Rohit Sharma was dropped after one or two failures. 

Fans also slammed Kohli for exclusion of Rohit from playing XI in West Indies tour, while KL Rahul was included who has been struggling to perform for years. Fans termed Rahul's selection as "Favoritism" by Virat Kohli.

KL Rahul's last 20 test innings: 54,4,13,8,10,23,36,19,0,37,149,0,4,33*,2,44,2,0,9,44
Matches:10 ,Total: 491 runs ,50's:1 ,100's:1

On the basis of this he is still in the team?
Clear favoritism by Captain to keep his favorite player in the team.@vikrantgupta73 @BCCI

— Wickets11 (@Wickets111) August 23, 2019

Ganguly asked Sehwag to open in tests in 2002, he scored 8351 runs with 23 hundreds and 2 triple hundreds. The same can be repeated 17 years later.

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly stated before the West Indies test series, "Rohit was in blistering form in the World Cup, but in Tests in South Africa and Australia, he was 'on and off'. Rahane was not his usual self in Australia.

"My suggestion would be to let Rohit carry on his good form from the World Cup and settle in the opener's slot while Rahane continues his good work of lending stability to the middle order."

Rohit Sharma opening in Test Cricket can give Indian batting that aggressive opener who can play the short ball pretty well and can score big daddy hundreds and open up the game for middle order batsman's to follow.

It will be seen if management will take a career changing or career defining moment not just for any player but for the sake of team's success in Test Cricket.