Circa 2010. After warming the bench, carrying drinks and fielding as a substitute in a couple of series, Rohit Sharma was primed to make his Test debut against South Africa in Nagpur.
However, a freak injury on the morning of February 6 saw him twist his ankle and make way for Wriddhiman Saha. The Bengal wicketkeeper-batsman made his debut as a specialist batsman, as did the Tamil Nadu run machine S Badrinath, but India lost the first Test by an innings and six runs.
Three years and nine months on, the stars are being kind to Sharma once again. And the buzz here is that Sharma is set to figure in the playing eleven. And this time, he is possibly going to be extra careful.
On Wednesday, he will probably opt out of the team’s now-customary football game. And like he did on match-eve, the Mumbaikar will probably bat in the net away from all the madness.
He will watch his step and make sure he doesn’t get hurt by a stray delivery. Satisfied with his pre-match routine and with his head down, he will take baby steps towards the dressing room where he will carefully take off his gear and go for a shower. In the bathroom, he will ensure he wears a sturdy pair of slippers, lest he slips. He will then wait for the toss by the completion of which he’ll know if India are batting or fielding.
Either way, the teams will line up at the start of the match for some jazzy event planned by the Cricket Association of Bengal. And then, he could eagerly wait to receive his Test cap — with the number 279 stitched on it — ideally from Sachin Tendulkar. Depending on the way the coin falls, he’ll either field in the covers or bat at No. 6. Wow!
MS Dhoni kept the journalists guessing with a “wait and watch” response coupled with a broad grin when asked if Sharma would make his debut in the first Test. And then, he confused the gathering by giving this explanation.
“The thing is whether we want to go with four bowlers, or if we want that fifth one. Or do we want someone who can bowl a bit if needed? The decision is based on three different aspects. If we go with five bowlers, both Rohit and Ajinkya (Rahane) may not play. If we say we need someone who can bowl a bit of off-spin, Rohit plays. If we say we go with four specialist bowlers, then maybe Ajinkya will play. You’ll have to wait and watch.” For the record, Sharma bowled in the nets on Tuesday.
The man who holds the dubious distinction of having played the most number of ODIs (108) but not a single Test, the born-again Sharma is getting ready for the second phase of his career.
While the first was about laziness, lazy elegance, meaty shots and fitness and consistency issues, the second is about none of the above. With an ODI double hundred, a watershed year with Shikhar Dhawan, a Tendulkar-esque average at the top and a great year as Mumbai Indians skipper, he is one of the hottest properties in Indian cricket. And yes, he’s trending on Twitter for the right reasons.
A couple of years ago, his seemingly casual, I-don’t-give-a-damn outlook to life outweighed his batting. Every now and then, he would conjure up a brilliant knock in ODI cricket, threaten to slam his way into the Test team with wondrous essays in first-class cricket and then throw it all away like, say, Marat Safin or Kimi Raikkonen.
The 2011 World Cup snub hurt him and he’s been a different man in every way. He lost oodles of weight, tightened a few screws up and worked on his batting. The results are for there for you to see.
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