Rohit Sharma has definitely come of age as a Test player. He has showed immense patience and concentration in the current series. He has scores of 36, 12, 83 and 21 at Lord, 19 and 59 at Leeds but most importantly as an opener he along with KL Rahul has done the hard work of playing in tough conditions when the ball was swinging and seaming. He has batted 900 balls in the whole series so far which shows the way he has adapted to tough English conditions.
What he missed in his 42-Test career was a hundred outside of India and he did that in England by scoring a magnificent century at The Oval. Going in to the second innings, India had conceded a lead of 99 runs but both Rohit and Rahul thwarted the English attack in tough conditions.
- IPL in UAE: Regaining the momentum early is the key, says Delhi Capitals’ Ajay Ratra
- Pictures: Hard practice, bonhomie for teams as second phase of IPL in UAE nears
- Oval Test: Ollie Pope, Woakes push India on the backfoot on second day
- IPL in UAE: Kolkata Knight Riders start practice, but where’s Shubman Gill?
- Fourth Test: Rohit Sharma holds firm for first overseas Test century
- Cricket: Rizwan helps Sharjah return to winning ways in UAE domestic league
Rohit has always been known as a white-ball specialist but after he was given the opening role against South Africa in 2019, he has blossomed as a Test player and averages more than 70 in India. He was India’s best player in the last series against England where everyone found it difficult in the spin-friendly conditions and he now proved it in English conditions that he has the right temperament and played as India’s highest scorer in this series also with more than 300 runs in the four Tests.
Sunil Gavaskar had predicted after the Lord’s Test where Rohit missed a hundred that a ton is just around the corner as he has shown the focus and temperament that is required for Test cricket.
I am sure the white-ball ‘Hitman’ is now their ‘Test Man’.
