Why did they drop Rohit Sharma from Tests earlier? Virender Sehwag blasts selectors

New Delhi: Virender Sehwag has lashed out at the MSK Prasad-led Indian cricket team selection committee over the omission of Rohit Sharma from the Test squad earlier.

The Mumbai batsman’s exploits in the limited-overs format are well documented but he has been out of favour in the national team when it comes to the longest format.

Rohit last featured in India whites during the away Test tour of South Africa earlier this year where he was preferred over Ajinkya Rahane. But after underperforming against the Proteas, the swashbuckling opener was dropped from the historic Test against Afghanistan and also failed to make the cut for the five-match Test series against England away.

“When he played at home against Sri Lanka, he scored a century and a half-century. He failed in two Tests against South Africa and was ruled out then, not even getting selected for England Tests. How many batsmen scored runs in South Africa? Why only Rohit Sharma was left out?

"Selectors should answer this. Why did they drop Rohit? He has scored three double-centuries in ODIs, is he so bad that he did not find a place in the Test team? I don’t think so. There is no player in the world who is scoring runs in ODIs and isn’t playing Test cricket. The opposite happens,” Sehwag was quoted as saying by Sports Tak.

Opening in shorter formats proved to be a boon for Rohit Sharma, who said that he will not mind taking a shot at it in Test matches too, if the team management ever considers that as an option in near future. The 31-year-old has scored 1479 runs at shade under 40 per innings in 25 Tests with three hundreds and nine half centuries and has been included for the four-match Test series against Australia starting December 6th.

With the trio of KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay struggling, Rohit was posed a question if he would like to open the innings in Test matches too.

"Look, I have never been offered (to open the innings in Tests) yet but I am open to anything as in whatever the team management wants. I never thought I will be an opener in ODIs when I started playing or when I was playing for India. But it happened along the way, so I (want to) keep my options open. No option is shut for me, so if the opportunity comes, I will take it," Rohit told PTI.

While his technique in testing conditions outside the Indian sub-continent has time and again come under scanner, the stylish batsman was hopeful of a Test recall.

"I want to be part of the (Test) team, but it is not in my hands. I have to wait for the opportunity, whenever it comes, I have to be ready for it. To be ready, I am doing everything, training, doing as much as possible to give myself the best chance when the opportunity comes there," he added.