India captain Rohit Sharma, who is currently turning out for Mumbai Indians (MI) in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, recently shared an in-depth conversation with former Australian captain Michael Clarke, centering around the highly anticipated five-match Test series between India and England. The series is scheduled to begin on June 20, 2025, at Headingley in Leeds.
Rohit Sharma and Michael Clarke discuss India’s England challenge
Speaking on Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, Clarke began by acknowledging the enormity of the challenge that lies ahead for the Indian team, pointing out that beating England in their own backyard is one of the toughest assignments in world cricket. He added that the tour would be followed by another demanding Test series in Australia, suggesting that India’s calendar is packed with high-stakes contests.
“You got England five Test matches which will be obviously a tough series. Beating England in their own backyard and then they come to Australia as well, so they got their work cut out. That’ll be a great series. And I’m assuming Bumrah will be fit, yeah? And if you can keep Shami fit, I think India is in for a red-hot chance of winning that series,” Clarke said.
Rohit responded by recalling how the last time India toured England, the series ended in a 2-2 draw, which left unfinished business.
“Yeah, no, um, absolutely. Last time when we played these guys, it was two-all, the series. Um, yeah, like you said, we need we need some of these guys to be 100%,” Rohit replied.
Rohit points out two match-winners India will rely on in test series
Clarke stressed that if India can keep Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami fit and firing, they would stand a real chance of winning in England. Calling Bumrah the best fast bowler in the world right now, Clarke highlighted how the presence of an experienced pacer like him especially one familiar with overseas conditions could change the complexion of the series.
“I think, like, Bumrah is in my opinion he’s the best at the moment. But you can’t buy experience bowling in Australian conditions because he knows those conditions. He’s played there before. I think that would have changed the entire series. So now going to England, if you can have that with the other quicks around them…,” Clarke stated.
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Rohit touched on the demanding nature of the IPL schedule and how it could affect the fitness and preparedness of India’s fast bowlers ahead of the England tour. While the format itself restricts bowlers to just four overs per game, Rohit pointed out that the actual challenge lies in the relentless travel and lack of recovery time.
Rohit further explained that players often find themselves playing one day, traveling the next, and taking the field again the very following day. He also expressed hope that both Bumrah and Shami, along with other key members of the Indian Test squad, would come out of the IPL without any injury concerns
“Yeah, we just got to make sure that, you know, they come out of IPL really well. Yeah, because that’s that’s this is the most challenging one. Because I know it’s only four overs, but you play today, you travel tomorrow, and then, yes, and then you play again. So that’s the challenging part of it, uh, because you’re traveling all across the country and playing so many games. So I hope that these two guys, along with the other guys, just, uh, you know, finish the IPL really well without any concerns, and then we have a full-fit team going to England. Then obviously, we—we will have a great series. And I know—I know the cricket that these guys are playing these days. Um, so it’ll be a good challenge for us,” Rohit concluded.
Road to redemption and importance in England
Both Bumrah and Shami have had challenging journeys with injuries in recent years, but their importance to India’s Test ambitions remains unmatched. Bumrah is currently spearheading the bowling attack for Mumbai in IPL 2025, making his return to competitive cricket after sustaining an injury during the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Shami is representing Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the same IPL season. He hasn’t played Test cricket since June 2023, when he featured against Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. A recurring injury kept him out of the 2024–25 tour of Australia, and he was sidelined for much of the year that followed. However, his return to the Indian squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 – where India emerged as champions, signaled a successful recovery.
Also READ: Gautam Gambhir to accompany India ‘A’ on England tour ahead of senior team’s arrival
