Indian captain Rohit Sharma missed the first of the five-match Test series against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25 due to the birth of his baby boy. However, he arrived in Perth during the course of the Test match and is set to feature in the second Day/Night Test match with the pink ball starting from December 6 at the Adelaide Oval. But before that, the Indian captain gave a sensational and rousing speech at the Australian Parliament House on November 28.
Rohit Sharma, in his speech at the Australian Parliament, talked about the deep-rooted relationship between India and Australia. It isn’t just confined from cricket to trade relations. Sharma highlighted the enjoyment derived from visiting Australia, not only for playing cricket but also for experiencing its rich culture.
Sharma acknowledged the unique challenge that playing cricket in Australia presents due to the intense passion and competitiveness of the Australian cricket community. Sharma conveyed that this challenge is what makes playing in Australia particularly invigorating for the Indian team.
“India and Australia. We go back a long way, whether it’s sport, whether it is trade relations. Over the years, we have enjoyed coming to this part of the world, playing cricket, and enjoying a variety of the culture in the country. And obviously, Australia is one of the challenging, uh, players to come and play cricket because of the passion people have, the competitiveness that every player possesses. Which is why you know for us, it’s always been a great challenge to come here and play cricket,” Rohit Sharma said in his speech at the parliament.
Rohit Sharma talked about Indian Cricket Team’s past successes in Australia
Rohit Sharma spoke about the Indian cricket team’s previous successes and their intent to carry that forward while in Australia. He expressed enthusiasm for the cultural diversity of Australian cities, indicating that the team enjoys the experience of touring Australia. He hoped that in the upcoming weeks, they would perform well enough to entertain both local Australian fans and the Indian diaspora, thereby playing a significant role in achieving their cricketing goals.
Sharma acknowledged the challenge but also the pleasure of playing in Australia, looking forward to a good month of cricket while also enjoying the country’s offerings. He thanked the host for the opportunity to speak at the Parliament, underscoring the honor of being there.
“We’ve had some success in the past and the previous week, as we look to build on that momentum, we also do want to enjoy a culture that Australia has. The variety of the cities gives us a different feeling. We do love coming here and enjoy our trip, and hopefully in the next few weeks, you know, we can entertain the Australian public and as well as the Indian fans who are here to play a massive role in achieving what we want to achieve. It’s never easy. We look forward to playing some cricket and at the same time, enjoy the country as well. It’s a wonderful place, as we all know. Look forward to a very good month coming up. We are all excited and hopefully we can entertain. Thank you sir, for having us here. It’s a pleasure,” he concluded.
Team India won their first-ever Test series in Australia in the 2018 Border-Gavaskar series. They secured the series win by a 2-1 margin. Then they also registered a historic series win in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. They were all-out for their lowest Test innings score by getting dismissed for 36 in the second innings of the Pink Ball Test last time around. However, they came back strongly in the next three Tests despite consistent injuries. The Indian team will be hoping to register a great performance in the Pink Ball Test this time around.
