India's white-ball vice-captain and batting mainstay Rohit Sharma has no idea about the status of last month's abandoned fifth Test against England in Manchester but he is quite clear in his mind that his team "won" the hard-fought series 2-1.
The fifth Test in Manchester was abandoned after Team India's junior physio Yogesh Parmar tested positive for COVID-19 and was found to be in direct contact of players. This was after some senior members of the Indian support staff also found to be infected.
The BCCI has agreed to play the fifth Test in July, 2022. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has said that it will be an extension of this year's series and not a one-off game that England want.
"I don't know what's happening with the last Test match. Whether we are playing a one-off Test (next year) but in my mind we have won the series 2-1," Rohit said during sports apparel giant Adidas' campaign 'Impossible Is Nothing' which also features Tokyo Olympic medallists weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and boxer Lovlina Borgohain among other sports stars.
Asked if the England series, where he scored more than 400 runs with a hundred and two fifties in four games is a milestone series for him, he replied: "It was a good one considering where I was standing in my Test career."
But the soon-to-be T20 captain refused to call it his best series.
"It's not my best series. I feel my best is yet to come. I utilised the time before the World Test Championship final in Southampton (to fgure) what sort of technique and mindset is required. I was pretty happy and would like to take it further."
Rohit has been actively involved with the 'Save the Rhinos' campaign and also for a plastic free sustainable planet. He spoke about his experience thus far.
"It was in 2014 when I went to Kenya and was really sad knowing about the condition of rhinos. India and Africa are two places where we have the maximum rhino population.
"I often thought that why don't I carry my cause on to the field," Rohit said about the company's specially designed cricket shoes which carry the message of saving the rhinos.
(With PTI inputs)
