Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha will have to wait for their chances in Tests: Gautam Gambhir

Rohit Sharma finds himself mostly in the waiting list as soon as India switch to the red-ball format for he is not among the favourites in the same. One of the best hitters in the limited-over cricket, Rohit’s Test career hasn’t been as successful and although he is in the Test squad in the current tour of the West Indies, the Mumbai batsman hasn’t played the first Test. He has little chance of playing the second match beginning Friday either, feels former opener Gautam Gambhir.

Rohit, who had a terrific World Cup in England recently and almost broke compatriot Sachin Tendulkar’s record of scoring the most number of runs in a single edition, made 68 in India’s last tour match against West Indies A in Coolidge earlier this month. He also scored a half-century in one of the T20Is though could not do much in the ODIs.

Rohit last played in a Test match in Australia last year in which he had scored a half-century. Overall, Rohit averages less than 40 in the long format after playing 27 games and of his three centuries so far, two had come in his first two innings.

According to Gambhir, who is now a BJP MP, Rohit would have to wait for a place in the Test XI as the likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari are performing well. “He (Rohit) has got to wait for his opportunity. There is Rahane, who has done well now and Vihari too. So he has to wait and when gets that opportunity, he needs to perform,” News18 quoted Gambhir as saying.

Both Rahane and Vihari delivered with their bats in the first Test in Antigua that India won by 318 runs. While the Test vice-captain scored 81 and 102, Vihari made 32 and 93 in the two essays. “I am not at all surprised (with Rahane’s performance) but it was a much-needed performance, both from individual and team’s point of view. And when it comes in a winning cause, it doesn’t get better than that,” Gambhir, who quit cricket last December, said.

Saha will also have to wait, feels Gambhir

Besides Rohit, veteran wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha will also have to wait for his opportunity, the former southpaw felt. Saha made a comeback into the national side after a prolonged injury stint and Rishabh Pant had cemented his place in the team by then. At 34, it has become even more difficult for Saha to bring the focus back on him especially when Pant is in a scintillating form with the bat in Tests.

“When someone (Pant) is averaging 48 (45.43 actually) with the bat and scored a hundred each in England and Australia, he deserves to be playing Test cricket. Saha needs to wait for his opportunity as Pant has grabbed his opportunity with both hands,” Gambhir added.