KARACHI: India’s longer formats captain Rohit Sharma picked Australia’s Scott Boland as the ‘toughest’ bowler to face Down Under, highlighting his ability to bowl consistently on challenging line and length.

Boland played a pivotal role in staging Australia’s astounding comeback from a 1-0 deficit to eventually winning the five-match series 3-1 by taking 21 wickets in three matches.

“Boland was the toughest to face in those conditions. When we checked his pitch map, 90% of his deliveries were just on the spot – no width, no full balls, maybe a few, but not many,” Rohit told Michael Clarke on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast.

Sharma, who managed to score only 31 runs in five innings in the series, revealed the thought process behind his absence from the fifth and final Test, stating that he tried to put the team first.

“I had to be honest with myself,” Rohit said. “I wasn’t hitting the ball well, and I didn’t want to play just for the sake of it. A few others were struggling too, and we really wanted [Shubman] Gill to play. He’s such a good player and had missed the previous Test, so we felt he deserved a chance.

“I mean, I was like, ‘OK, if I’m not hitting the ball well, there’s no point forcing it.’ I spoke to the coach and the selector—who was on the tour as well – and they kind of agreed, kind of didn’t.

“You try to put the team first, look at what the team needs, and make the decision accordingly. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, that’s just how it goes. Every decision you make, there’s no guarantee of success or that it’s the right one. You just do what feels best for the team.”

Sharma’s next assignment as India’s longer formats after a triumphant ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 campaign will be a five-match away Test series against England, scheduled to run from June 20 to July 31.

Commenting on the forthcoming series, Rohit Sharma believes that it would be a good challenge for his side. “Absolutely, last time we played these guys, it was 2-2 in the series,” he said.

“Yeah, we need some of these guys to be 100% fit. We’ll have a great series, and I know the kind of cricket these guys are playing these days. It’ll definitely be a good challenge for us.