Dear Rohit Sharma,
India lost yet another Test match and like many other Indians I was also hoping that this new-look Indian team would do something great. Maybe not win, but at least show that they have the ability to play the longest format of the game for five days.
I will be wrong if I say that there were no bright spots, for Murali Vijay with his century showed that he is most technical player in the team who at least knows where his off stump is and can play for long hours despite the heat. Other players like Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane have also impressed. Umesh Yadav has also done well with the ball.
But then when it comes to you I would frankly say that you have been a disappointment. It is very difficult to point out where you commit a mistake ,thus undoing all the good work done by some of the guys who come before you.
It is certainly a crime when a batsman who is settled and has gone into his 30s and 40s suddenly makes the mistake of not converting them into a century or if not at least get those crucial 80s which would certainly help the team from a number 6 batsman’s point of view. To make matters worse, you seem disinterested at times and some of those lazy shots which lead to your dismissal is testimony to the fact.
You may have made unbreakable records. Two double-centuries in limited over format, two back to back centuries on debut series clearly showcases your talent. An average a shade under 40 is not bad but it's not great either, considering the kind of talent you are or at least what you have been projected as.
You have done nothing significant after those two Test centuries against West Indies and getting a 70 something against South Africa. You should be dropped because when you have played for almost close to a decade you are expected to be a regular member of the team by now. You are expected to carry one of the batons of being one of the pillars of Indian batting. But you haven't.
When you came into the international fray, there were lot of talk about you being very talented. You did disappoint us then, but you found support in your captain MS Dhoni, who trusted you and you got a longer rope. I would only request you that to not expect the same thing in the longer format. Dont expect that you will be given a longer rope in favour of other proven performers just because the media has termed you as a special talent.
On top of that, you go around sledging people and worse, you pick the wrong guys. You picked up your old IPL teammate Mitchell Johnson and asked him how many wickets he had picked and you got trolled for the last two days. Not only did he hit an 88 but came back to take your wicket and send you back for a duck. If it makes you feel even worse then even Umesh Yadav scored more runs than you.
Please learn to practice before you preach. You may have scored two double centuries and that is something you must cherish your whole life but your real ‘talent’ will be measured only when you show the world that you can score runs not only in the subcontinent but also outside the subcontinent – in any format. It is only then that you will transcend from the category of a talent to the category of a legend, a match winner.
At 27 time may slowly be ticking away fot you. Remember 2007, when you made your debut, there was a certain Virat Kohli who was leading his under-19 team to a World Cup victory, and today he is not only a regular member but India’s best batsman and future captain. The Rahanes and Pujaras were not even in contention back then but somehow today they are considered more reliable than you.
Rohit Sharma, either you perform and live up to the name you have acquired thanks to media and your captain, or perish among the list of one-time wonders. There are many who are not in the India squad because we all have a secret preference for talent over performance.
Hoping for you to turn things around.
Yours Sincerely,
A Frustrated Cricket Fan
