Rohit lacking punch for India

India batsman Rohit Sharma's poor run in Test cricket has come under scrutiny after the batsman failed to trouble the scorers in the second innings of the fourth Test against South Africa.

Having been dismissed for one in the first innings in Delhi - caught out aiming for an expansive hoick off Dane Piedt - Sharma was promoted to first drop in the second dig but his stay at the crease lasted all of one ball, bowled by Morne Morkel.

It followed scores of 2 and 23 on a difficult deck in Nagpur in the third Test – albeit in a match where the highest score from either team was 40.

A couple of fifties in the Test series in Sri Lanka earlier this year would have helped Sharma’s confidence, but he missed out on opportunities to continue the momentum against the Proteas when captain Virat Kohli opted to back his five-bowler tactic for the first two Tests, benching Sharma.

A celebrated limited-overs player, Sharma has not been able to translate his obvious talents with the bat into a permanent Test spot since making his debut in November 2013.

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He started with a bang, scoring 177 on debut, and followed it with another century in his second Test.

But in the two years since, Sharma had not been able to add a third Test ton to his tally.

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He’s scored 607 runs at 25.3 in 13 Tests, but while his red-ball stats don’t defend his inclusion, the case has often been made for him on the basis of his limited-overs form.

He is the only batsman to have scored two double-centuries in ODI cricket and over the last 24 months, his ODI average is 53.11 with five centuries to his name.

Sharma skippered the Mumbai Indians in the IPL to glory, making his fair share of contributions with the bat in the process.

Dismissed to an attacking stroke first and then to a defensive stroke in Delhi this week, it's not easy to pin-point what Sharma needs to do to shrug off this rut.

Former Indian cricketer and current commentator Sanjay Manjrekar believes Sharma's inability to adjust to the longer format is costing him.

"It has come to that situation where the selectors will be thinking hard if Rohit Sharma deserves a test place," Manjrekar told PTI after his first-innings dismissal.

"Rohit has not been struggling with form.  But his inability to adapt to the Test match situations has been letting him down.

"What goes against him is the way he gets out. Even today, at a crucial juncture trying to hit a bowler for a six and getting out. His game is built on lofted shots. the sixes and big shots are part of his DNA, his basic game."

What will be worrying for Sharma is there are others waiting in the flanks.

KL Rahul has scored a couple of centuries in his five Tests and remains a solid option.

The uncapped Gurkeerat Singh Mann has been in the Test squad this series and has off-spin bowling as an extra string to his bow.

In the three first-class matches he played this season, he has hit a double-century, and grabbed 11 wickets.

And then there are others like Karun Nair and Shreyas Iyer, who are already knocking on the selection door.

India batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes Sharma has what it takes to succeed at Test cricket, given time.

"For him, he is coming off a T20 hundred, a ODI hundred, he hasn’t really got to play lot many Test matches in a row," Bangar had said at the end of the first day of the Delhi Test.

"That always plays as far as a batsman is concerned, I think as I have been saying earlier that you show faith in him, give him successive opportunities and then assess him. Whatever he has done n longer format, he would definitely want to do more."

Unfortunately for Sharma, India will not play another Test until after May next year, but the break will give him time to asses where he's headed in the longer format.

A stint in English county cricket could help, if his white-ball commitments allow.