Rohit Sharma not worried over uncertainty about his selection in the Indian Test team
What's the story
Explosive opener Rohit Sharma, one of India's mainstays when it comes to limited overs cricket, has had a bit of a trouble cementing his spot in Tests. Having made his debut in the longest format in 2013, Rohit has made just 25 appearances in Tests, and has reached a stage, by his own admission, where he isn't fretting over whether or not he'll be picked.
In case you didn't know...
In the 25 Tests Rohit has played, he has scored just 1479 runs at an average of 39.97. Though he made an impact on his debut game against West Indies at his hometown of Mumbai five years ago, inconsistent figures have seen him in and out of the team.
After an underwhelming show on the recent tour of South Africa where he scored a paltry sum of 78 runs in four innings at an average of 19.50, Rohit has missed out on a spot in the Test squad for the one-off game against Afghanistan, scheduled for later this June.
The opener also had a fairly disappointing IPL season, scoring just 286 runs from 14 outings, with just two 50+ scores to his name. He was also unable to lead his team to the playoffs, as the then-defending champions crashed out of the tournament with a humbling defeat against last-placed Delhi Daredevils.
The details
"There is a limited time that you have as a player and I have finished almost half of it. There is no point in spending the remaining half thinking whether I will be picked or not," these were his exact words.
The recently-turned 31-year-old has instead decided to focus on a rather different theory. "I am going forward with the theory of 'whatever time I have, I want to make it count'," Rohit Sharma said earlier on Tuesday when asked about not being included in the squad for the game against Afghanistan.
Rohit appears to have made a clear decision of not getting bogged down by all the uncertainty that comes with his Test selection. "For me, I am not at a stage to worry about whether I'll be picked or not. I need to enjoy my game. The first five-six years of my career, it was all about 'oh, will I be picked? Will I play'. Now it's all about enjoying the game. These things keep adding pressure on you. Instead, it's best to enjoy yourself in what you do and give your best," he said.
Rohit also cited the freak injury that delayed his Test debut by three years, explaining why he believed that "there is time for everything". He had an opportunity to make his Test debut in 2010, but he missed it due to an injury that happened while playing football at practice.
But despite having said all of this, Rohit vehemently quashed the idea that he was just an ODI-T20I specialist. According to him, the selectors can do what is best in their control, which is to find a right combination of players to play in different formats, and he assured that he will continue to put in the best of his efforts to play for his country.
What's next?
After the test match against Afghanistan, India will travel to Ireland and England to participate in two successive tours, initially, the two T20Is against Ireland, followed by three T20Is, three ODIs and five Tests against England, in a tour that spans up to September.
The next tour after this comes only in November, with India visiting Australia to play a series of ODIs, T20Is and Tests, until January. Rohit Sharma will definitely find a place in the limited overs sides on all the above occasions, while his Test spot remains uncertain.