Poll: Did Rohit Sharma deserve a chance ahead of Pujara?

At the toss for the third Test, Virat Kohli confirmed that he made three changes in the squad of which Rohit Sharma’s selection surprised many considering that he hadn’t made a mark in the opportunities he got in the longer format and was designated to play over a more stable Cheteshwar Pujara.

In spite of getting starts, Pujara failed to convert them into big knocks, something he was known for at the start of the career and Virat’s wish to have someone in the middle order who can play a quickfire knock prompted the selectors to think over Pujara.

His approach at the start of innings hasn’t helped India keep the scorecard ticking. With a strike rate of less than 30, having played 159 balls for his 46 runs, Pujara walked back disheartened as unable to determine his sheer prominence in the previous Test.

On the other hand, Rohit Sharma played his first Test match in 8 months. While there is no doubt that Rohit is an exceptional talent when it comes to the limited overs format, he has not been able to do justice to it at the Test level. Batting at a crunch situation, he had an opportunity to prove his mettle but got out to a poor shot chasing a ball outside his off stump.

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He walked back to the dressing room with just 9 runs to his name and left India reeling at 87/4. But Test cricket gives you two chances and at he definitely came true to the expectations and backing of the skipper in the second inning playing a better knock of 41 runs it came at an important time in the Test when the team had lost three early wickets.

But despite that, he continues to look vulnerable and having him in the XI skipper Kohli promotes himself to no. 3 which again hasn’t really come off. This raised the question whether Rohit really deserved a shot over Pujara. Talking about Pujara, one suggests that a batsman of his audacity deserved a long rope in the team. Also, his form has been more of patchy and not poor by any means. With a batting average of 47 which is the highest among the current lineup, Pujara can be a reckoning force to deal with, once he regains his confidence and this could’ve well been his field day.

On the other hand, Rohit Sharma has the temperament for being a handy batsman at No.5 in Tests. As Kohli described, ‘Rohit Sharma can change sessions in a Test match’. This special calibre is what unravels Pujara from him. As someone who has been a clean hitter in the limited overs format, he can dash the bowler’s confidence up for a toss and turn the tide in his team’s favour.

For years, Pujara has been considered as one of the mainstays of the Indian batting in the longer format. He has batted at No.3 for most of his career and enjoys a healthy average of 46.59 at that position. While he didn’t have a great patch overseas in 2014, he announced his arrival to form against Sri Lanka last year as he carried his bat throughout the innings. However, he had an average series against the Proteas at home as where he got out after getting starts.

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Rohit Sharma at the same time has failed to keep the run scoring healthy. His average at No.5 is 33.18 which is pretty ordinary. He has found it difficulty in maintaining his spot in the Test team. After scoring back to back hundreds in his first two Tests at No.6, he failed to get going on a consistent basis. It can also be argued that he went on to play quite a few overseas games and wasn’t given ample chances to prove his potential in the lower-middle order. Last year, he seemed in sublime touch in the Sri Lankan series but failed terribly against South Africa at home following which he was dropped.

As the Pujara vs Rohit battle gets really intense, we give the fans a chance to decide who they think would’ve been a suitable choice in the team. Vote here:

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