"Time will tell whether loss at Edgbaston will have any impact in the T20I and ODI series against England" - Rohit Sharma
Indian captain Rohit Sharma expressed his disappointment as his side were defeated convincingly by England in the fifth Test at Edgbaston. The 35-year old opener, who has recovered from COVID-19, said it remains to be seen whether the loss will haunt India in the white-ball games.
Sharma, who performed commendably in the first four Tests held last year in England, missed the crucial match at Edgbaston after failing to recover in time.
As a result, Jasprit Bumrah replaced him as captain. However, the speedster could not avoid a defeat for India as the series ended 2-2.
England win the Edgbaston Test by 7 wickets.
A spirited performance by #TeamIndia as the series ends at 2-2.
#ENGvIND https://t.co/fNiAfZbSUN
Speaking ahead of the first T20I against England on Thursday, the right-handed batter admitted that India held the upper hand and hopes a change in format would turn the tourists' fortunes around.
Sharma told Times of India:
"It's obviously disappointing to not come out as victors. The Test series was for India to win. That said, time will tell whether that loss will have any impact in the T20I and ODI series against England. That was a different format and this will be a different one."
The absence of the veteran opener and KL Rahul meant India had to promote Cheteshwar Pujara to open alongside Shubman Gill. However, the duo couldn't stitch together any massive opening stands across two innings.
"England will be a challenging side for us" - Rohit Sharma
With the T20 World Cup on the horizon, Sharma stated that every game is critical for India right now.
Despite viewing England as a challenging side, he trusts the players to come good, saying:
"With one eye on the World Cup later this year, this is an important series for us. That said, every game for India is important right now and we want to get our job done in this series as well. England will be a challenging side for us."
Gearing up for the T20Is 💪
#TeamIndia | #ENGvIND https://t.co/YHqaaQ0G0R
Hitman added:
"I am sure these boys who have been here for a while, played a handful of games against Ireland and a few practice games as well, will be looking forward to this T20 series."
It's worth noting that the right-handed opener earned the player of the series award in the three-game T20 series against England in 2018. He smashed 137 runs in three T20Is at 68.50.