With centuries in both innings for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy final against Uttar Pradesh, Rohit Sharma has staked his claim for a permanent batting place in the Indian eleven in all three forms of the game.

There is no doubt he is an exceptional talent, though there seems to be aspects of his technique that need to be ironed out. But this can only be done if he plays enough, as then the Indian coach, Gary Kirsten, can take a closer look. It is not just a matter of working at the nets as the idea is not to repeat mistakes in a match.

It is clear the national cricket selection committee has accepted the fact that Sharma is someone who has to be persisted with, especially now that two experienced batsmen like Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman have given up playing ODIs and Sourav Ganguly has quit the game altogether. If Sharma gets to play five ODIs in Sri Lanka and does not perform up to expectations, then the coach can settle down to work on him.

Sharma is a natural and an attractive stroke-maker. He has two problems.

One, he tends to become overconfident and two, he needs to improve his stroke selection. Both problems are the result of lapses in his concentration.

Cricketers from Mumbai generally are strong in concentration and this is one of the reasons why they are superior to their counterparts in other states. Hence there is no need for Sharma to be an exception to this rule. While his play on the off-side is all elegance, there is at times a tendency to play away from the body, which does get him into trouble. His play on the on-side has to be improved. But, overall, there are all the indications that given the breaks, he will be someone the cricket world will soon be admiring.

Sharma had his share of luck in the Ranji Trophy final in the first innings when he was dropped twice by the Uttar Pradesh captain, Mohammed Kaif. But all credit to him that he made the opposition pay for these let-offs. His India captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, would do well to encourage him for he is not like Yuvraj Singh, who needed so many opportunities to establish himself. In fact, many feel he has done so only because the seniors have given way and the steadfast backing of the powers that be.

If Sharma is denied his breaks then it is possible he would become frustrated. And this would be unfortunate.