Rohit Sharma is much better than his numbers speak

Rohit Sharma is a special talent. No doubt.

Attribute it to his luck or the umpteen chances that he has got ever since he made his international debut a decade ago, Sharma has been "will he, won't he" guy till he was appointed deputy to Virat Kohli in limited-overs for the Sri Lanka series in August this year.

Before reaching Kanpur for the third and final ODI of the ongoing series against New Zealand, Sharma was been at the centre of debate for his failures in the first two matches – scoring just 27 from two innings. But 2017 has been his most consistent year, scoring five ODI centuries, his latest being the 147 at Green Park on Sunday.

The reason why Sharma cannot be ignored was on full display during his 138-ball knock here in which he picked up 18 fours and two sixes. His ability to find the gaps or pick the length of the delivery early makes him special on any kind of track. And, when he gets going, his temperament looks as impeccable as that of any classy batters, past or present.

Sharma certainly makes for a wonderful case study. He has got runs, grace and the temperament to play big innings. Despite these qualities, what is it that stops this "lazy elegance" from being the best in the world? Ask Kiwi's most fearsome bowler Trent Bolt, who was hit for three fours in an over on Sunday.

But Sharma's arrival on the big stage coincided with the invent of Indian Premier League. Being one of the finest among the Indians that reached the ICC Under-19 World Cup final in 2006, where Pakistan emerged victorious, Sharma was toast of the all team owners' vying for top honours in IPL circus.

His abilities became his bane as he was soon exposed to the glittery world of T20 cricket. But for the sheer promise that he possessed, as many as 41 failures were ignored by Indian think-tank between 2007 and 2010 before he scored a century against the struggling Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 2010.

Sharma was referred to as a case study whenever there was a debate over the "side effects" of IPL's pomp and show. His failures continue to outrun his successes till 2013 when he struck his first double ton in ODIs against Australia in Bengaluru.

His mammoth 264 against Sri Lanka the next year in Kolkata begun his new innings with Team India. He started answering everyone who have invested in him for years. His occasional flashes of brilliance have always encouraged his fans to ask for more.

Sharma has developed a special relationship with his skipper Virat Kohli. Between them, the two have scored four double hundred partnerships in ODIs till date. But there is one thing that he needs to learn from his captain, and that is the consistency and ability to convert good starts into match-winning knocks.

Kohli, though, started his international career a year later than Rohit but his 32 ODI hundreds to Rohit's 15th and the ability to maintain calm while chasing any big total has taken him to different heights as compared to his team-mate from Mumbai.

Kohli may not be as technically sound as Sharma but all his flaws are taken care by his ability to carry the burden of his team on his shoulders.

Cricket fans don't see Sharma as a run-machine. They also ignore his string of failures. What they want is to see him in action, hitting elegant cover drives or picking the short ball early to dispatch over boundaries. No matter what has happened in past, Sharma, at 30, needs to take his responsibilities more seriously.

Sharma certainly needs to put extra hard work in the coming months as India are slated to play a lot away from home. His toughest test would be to perform on foreign pitches as well. And, keeping in mind where he found the going tough during the last tours of South Africa and New Zealand, he needs to make it count this time around before he runs out of luck.

ROHIT IN 2017 ODIS

• 1,076 runs in 18 innings at 67.25 with 5 hundreds and five fifties