‘I would Love to Play… It would be a Great Contest’: Rohit Sharma on the Proposed India vs Pakistan Bilateral Series

April 18, 2024 0 601

Rohit Sharma seemed eager to play against Pakistan as he agreed on an unofficially proposed India vs Pakistan bilateral Test series.

Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma has expressed his support for a return to bilateral Test series between India and Pakistan. The historic rivalry between the two nations is considered one of the most passionate in cricket, often compared to the Ashes between England and Australia.

During a podcast appearance on “Club Prairie Fire,” former England captain Michael Vaughan asked Sharma, “Don’t you think India playing Pakistan regularly will be fantastic for Test cricket?”

India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral Test series since 2007, with their encounters limited to multi-nation tournaments like the World Cup and Asia Cup.

“I totally believe that!” Rohit responded, acknowledging Pakistan’s strength as a team. He even recalled the last bilateral Test series in 2007, where Wasim Jaffer scored a double hundred in Kolkata.

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While acknowledging the current format of encounters in ICC events, Rohit emphasized his primary focus on the core aspect of the sport. “I would love to. At the end of the day, we want to be in the contest. I think it will be a great contest between the two sides. We still play them in the ICC tournaments. So, it doesn’t even matter. It’s pure cricket that I am looking at. I am not interested in anything else. It’s just pure cricket. A battle between bat and ball. It will be a great contest, so why not?” added the Indian skipper.

Notably, this endorsement came ahead of a much-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan at the upcoming T20 World Cup in New York on June 9th.

In the past, India has held the upper hand in T20 World Cup encounters, including victories in 2007 and most recently in 2022, where Virat Kohli’s heroics in Melbourne secured a win for India. Therefore, Rohit Sharma’s backing for a bilateral Test series only added to the anticipation surrounding the historic rivalry.