Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina - test class ?

[Lambu]

If Rohit Sharma is not test class, then the Indian test middle order of 2-3 years from now is in serious trouble, with 4 vacancies and it is a struggle to come up with 4 other names that are obviously better than him. (Yuvraj, Kaif, Raina, Uthappa, Tiwary do not appear to be, Badri has not been tested internationally). Perhaps in a bizzare turn of events an opener or two will have to move down since we have Chopra/Sehwag/Gambhir/Karthik/even Jaffer who are probably better test batsmen than the first list.

i think you have gotten the issues mixed up here....its a not the matter of "if he isn't test class we are screwed"..the questions if they are?You can't speak relatively here.

And i disagree with others on that list of yours being better than these two(except Sehwag and Gambhir) in terms of skill..all they are lacking is the 'temper' which i'm sure they will have an oppotunity to develop befoe the big guns retire..well 2 years must separate the boys from men,imo.Have to say,would be very disappointed if either don't make it.

 

[Prince EWS]

At the current time, no.

Rohit Sharma looks gun from what I've seen, basically, but he's done nothing in First Class cricket at all to suggest he's Test standard. I have very high hopes for him and I'd be disappointed if he never ended up Test standard, but he's not there at this stage.

I haven't been as impressed with Raina on the limited occassions I've seen him bat, but a few ODIs before he was ready is hardly a decent sample size. His performances indicate he has quite a bit potential as well, but as has already been pointed out in this thread, he's really inconsistent from season to season. He'll probably get his chance eventually, but he's not up to it yet.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Sharma is still missing that hunger to make runs - some batsmen you know that once they're in, they'll make a massive score and you have to work your **** off to get them out. Sharma doesn't make the opposition work hard enough for his wicket once he's in.

 

[honestbharani]

If they want to select the batsman most likey to provide the most runs and the best consistency, the guy whose name they should first consider is Badrinath. He has made runs, made them consistently, showed good technique and adaptability at all levels possible below the test level.


But Indian selectors like to pick youngsters who will mature after a year or two of international cricket so that they can take credit for "persisting" with talent ahead of stats.


And to answer the question, both men have the talent. Do they have the temperament needed for test cricket though? That is the question and the answer to that will decide whether they are test class or not.

 

[weldone]

Sharma, definitely...Raina, not too sure either way...

 

[silentstriker]

Sharma sometimes plays annoying shots, and other times he looks awesome. I love Raina's backfoot play, but he isn't proven either. So I'd say neither at the moment, but I wouldn't be suprrised if one or both eventually became good enough to make the Test team.

 

[Lambu]

Sharma sometiems playes annoying shots.

Are you referring to his scoop shot ?

 

[silentstriker]

Are you referring to his scoop shot ?

Good Rohit (at least some of it)

Bad Rohit (most of it)

That scoop shot has to go. That shot angers me for some reason.

 

[Lambu]

I agree..he looks majestic when he drives though.With time he'll learn to avoid certain shots.

 

[cowboysfan]

I think if any one older batsmen retire or get hurt than he is inline for a test selection.I have yet to see a big innings ffrom him though and thats not really a good thing .

 

[cowboysfan]

Sharma is still missing that hunger to make runs - some batsmen you know that once they're in, they'll make a massive score and you have to work your **** off to get them out. Sharma doesn't make the opposition work hard enough for his wicket once he's in.

thats exactly right.He is still young and I hope he learns a lot from seniors before he is a test mainstay.

 

[Shri]

Any change in opiniions?

 

[Smith]

Rohit - Yes. I reckon he's improving on his composure to play the longer innings. A stint or two in the FC will make him quite the finished article.

Raina? - He got to learn the pull shot first. Then learn to play some ground strokes. And learn to play on grounds where boundaries > 65 metres.

 

[Xuhaib]

Rohit is the next Inzi while Raina has some issues with his technique eventually both should make it.

 

[Xuhaib]

Rohit - Yes. I reckon he's improving on his composure to play the longer innings. A stint or two in the FC will make him quite the finished article.

Raina? - He got to learn the pull shot first. Then learn to play some ground strokes. And learn to play on grounds where boundaries > 65 metres.

was that Precamb?

 

[Prince EWS]

was that Precamb?

Yep.

 

[Shri]

Agent Smith: Do you know what the best thing about being me is?
[All the doors open, lots of Smith clones step out]
Agent Smith: There's so many of me!

 

[Arjun]

We shouldn't pass a judgement on their skills based on what we see in extreme cricket. All of their weaknesses (inability to play a pull or hook, warped shot selection) were forced by the rapid nature of T20, but they'd settle nicely in more 'serious' forms of the game.

 

[oitoitoi]

thats exactly right.He is still young and I hope he learns a lot from seniors before he is a test mainstay.

Problem is the current seniors he will know are Yuvraj and Bhaji....role model extraordinaire

 

[rivera213]

Rohit is more likely to be test class than Raina imo.

I think Subramaniam Badrinath should be in the India test team instead of Yuvraj for the immediate future but Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma are the long-term replacements for Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman IMO.

I don't see Rohit as a test opener, even in the mould of Sehwag since Sehwag is a bit of a freak as a middle order player who can pwn opening batsmen with the new ball as easy as he did bowlers with an older ball.

Suresh Raina would, more than others, benefit from a county stint. He has some real issues which will hinder his success at test level. No doubt he can destroy attacks when the boundary is in but he has to learn how to play 4-day games outside of India where he will get short balls and the ball will swing.

He could, long-term, be the No.6. A blaster who also chips in with some useful spin but I don't see him any higher than that IAH plus Ravinder Jadeja, Kedar Jadhav, Sunny Sohal, Virat Kohli, Ameya Shrikhande and Manish Pandey will feel they can make the No.6 spot their own too in the future though some of those are too early into their FC career to even think about being an India test player..

As it stands, I see the XI as:

Gautam
Sehwag
Dravid
Tendulkar
Badrinath
Laxman
Dhoni

for now and long-term (ca 2012 onwards, no earlier and based on adapting to non-Indian conditions):

Mukund
Srivastava
Rahane
Pujara
Rohit
Raina (if he works on his short ball batting)
Karthik