LONDON: England’s express pacer Mark Wood, currently sidelined with a knee injury, has identified Indian captain Rohit Sharma as the most difficult Indian batter he has ever bowled to. Speaking on The Overlap Cricket podcast, Wood revealed that when Rohit is in full flow, his bat seems to “just keep getting wider,” making it an immense challenge to find a way to dismiss him.
“In different stages of my career, I would say Rohit Sharma. Difficult because against the short ball, you feel like you, for myself, I’ve got a chance of getting him out, but also if he’s on that day, he smokes it,” Wood said, explaining the dual challenge of bowling to the opener.
Wood, one of the fastest bowlers in the world, also spoke about his battles with other Indian stars, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant.
He called Virat Kohli an “unbelievable competitor,” noting that while bowlers often target the fourth or fifth stump line, the former Indian Test and T20I captain rarely misses a chance to score. “We seem to never miss him when I bowl him there. So, that was difficult,” he quipped.
On Rishabh Pant, Wood highlighted the wicketkeeper-batter’s fearlessness and unpredictability as his biggest strengths. “I think you’ve got to hold your nerve. That’s basically what I would say,” Wood stated. “He can be so unpredictable that it plays into his hands. If you’re the same all the time, he’s got such a good eye, he hits it where he wants. You need to mix it up with a slower ball, a high bouncer, or a fast yorker.”
Wood, who missed England’s recent five-match Test series against India due to a knee injury, is now targeting a return to red-ball cricket to get match-fit ahead of the upcoming Ashes series in Australia. He plans to play for his county, Durham, in a few matches in September to test his fitness before the England squad departs for the highly anticipated tour, which begins on November 21 in Perth.
“His Bat Just Kept Getting Wider”: Mark Wood Calls Rohit Sharma His Toughest Indian Opponent
