In my mind, we have won the England Test series 2-1, says Rohit Sharma

India opener Rohit Sharma, on Monday, said he has no idea about the status of last month’s abandoned England vs India Test in Manchester that was called off due to COVID-19 concerns. India led the five-match Test series 2-1 when the series was halted. With no intimation on the Manchester Test, Rohit said that in his mind the team has already won the series.

The Manchester Test was abandoned after Team India’s junior physio Yogesh Parmar tested positive for COVID-19 and was found to be in direct contact with players. This was after some senior members of the Indian support staff were 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 wants.

“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.

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 figure) what sort of technique and mindset is required. I was pretty happy and would like to take it further.”

Talking about his involvement in the ‘Save the Rhinos’ campaign, Rohit said: “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.