Rohit Sharma sweats out at nets ahead of first Test vs Sri Lanka

Not too long ago, Rohit Sharma was considered a failure in the red-ball format. While he delivered in the coloured versions, the dashing Mumbai batter was labelled as one who would not succeed in Tests because of technical and temperamental shortcomings.

But just as cricket remains a game of uncertainty, the fates of those who play it remain as unpredictable. Despite making a grand entry in the Test arena with hundreds in the first two innings in 2013, Sharma remained a shaky campaigner in the long format. But after more than eight years since making his Test debut, Sharma’s fortunes have smiled on him and he is now set to captain India in the five-day format, not as a stop-gap skipper but a full-fledged one. He will be the 35th captain for India in Tests.

On Wednesday, March 2, the 34-year-old batter was seen sweating it out at the nets at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali ahead of India’s first Test match against Sri Lanka. He shared pictures of him batting and fielding and captioned them, “About time”.

Sharma could have made his debut as Test captain in South Africa

Sharma, who has become India’s full-time skipper in the 50 and 20-over formats, was chosen as the vice captain for the Indian squad that toured South Africa in December-January. However, he sustained an injury during the net sessions ahead of that tour and missed it entirely. Sharma’s debut as India’s Test captain would have happened on that tour after former captain Virat Kohli missed the second Test in Johannesburg due to an injury. KL Rahul captained India in that Test and the three-match one-day international series later and lost all the games.

Kohli stepped down as the Test captain after India lost the series against the Proteas 1-2 under controversial circumstances and Sharma succeeded him. However, the man will be up against a challenge as his predecessor has been India’s most successful captain in Tests.

Sharma, who played 43 Tests so far in which he has scored 3,047 runs at an impressive average of around 47, has seen a terrific start to his captaincy in the limited-over formats and would expect to replicate the same in the red-ball format as well. His debut Test as the captain will also be historic since it is the 100th one for his predecessor Kohli.

India will play Sri Lanka in another Test in Bangalore starting March 12. They beat the islanders 3-0 in a three-match T20 international series before the Tests.