England fast bowler Mark Wood has said that among all the Indian players he has bowled to in his career, Rohit Sharma is the toughest batsman to bowl to because once he gets into rhythm, it becomes very difficult to stop him. Wood missed the five-match home series against India due to a knee injury, but he is targeting a comeback for Durham in the County Championship in September, ahead of the Ashes series.
Wood’s Statement on the Podcast
Speaking on ‘The Overlap Cricket’ podcast, Wood revealed which Indian batsmen have been the toughest for him to face. He said, “At different stages of my career, I would choose Rohit Sharma. He is difficult to bowl to because when you bowl short, you feel there’s a chance to get him out, but if he is in form that day, he plays attacking cricket and it’s very hard to stop him.”
Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant Are Fierce Competitors
Wood further said, “That’s why bowling to Rohit was challenging. It always felt like his bat was getting wider and wider because he was able to hit shots so easily.”
One of the fastest bowlers in recent years, consistently bowling above 145 kmph, Wood also described Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant as tough competitors.
On Virat Kohli
Wood said, “Kohli is incredibly competitive. I used to think the fourth and fifth stump lines were his weakness, but whenever I bowled there, he never missed. That made him very difficult to bowl to.”
Rohit and Kohli have both retired from T20Is and Test cricket, but they remain active in the ODI format.
On Rishabh Pant
Talking about Rishabh Pant, Wood said, “I feel he stays very composed. He is so unpredictable that if you keep bowling the same way, he can read you easily and hit whenever he wants. That’s why, while bowling to him, you must mix it up with slower balls, sharp bouncers, and quick yorkers.”