"It's always been a great challenge" - Rohit Sharma praises Australia's competitiveness during speech at Parliament House in Canberra
India captain Rohit Sharma praised the Australian cricket team for its competitive spirit while giving a speech at the Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday, November 28. The batter acknowledged that playing cricket in Australia has always been challenging for Indian teams.
The Indian cricket team was hosted by the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, at Parliament House, Canberra. The visitors will take on the Prime Minister's XI in a two-day warm-up match at the Manuka Oval in Canberra, starting Saturday, November 30.
Addressing the Australian parliament on Thursday, Rohit reflected on the cricketing battles between the two nations and spoke about the great relations that the two countries enjoy.
"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 places 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," the Indian captain said in his speech.
Rohit added that the Indian players are looking forward to enjoying Australia's culture in the next weeks and asserted that they want to entertain fans in the country with their style of play.
"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," the 37-year-old said.
"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," the batter concluded.
Rohit missed the first Test in Perth to spend some time with family following the birth of his second child on November 15.
Rohit Sharma set to lead the team in Adelaide
While Rohit missed the opening Test in Perth, he is all set to lead the visitors in the second Test. The pink-ball contest will begin in Adelaide on December 6.
In the regular skipper's absence, Jasprit Bumrah led the Indian team to a 295-run triumph in the first Test. Bumrah led from the front, claiming eight wickets, as India registered their biggest Test triumph Down Under in terms of runs.