The India vs England Test series in 2024 underlined a series of different narratives, most inclined to the famed record-breaking avenues. And perhaps, the greatest of all those storylines - Rohit Sharma became the first Indian captain and the first in 112 years to win a Test series 4-1 after losing the first Test. 

And this was his short yet classy assessment.

“A five-match Test series is always hard, with many tough challenges throughout the one-and-a-half-two-month period. Playing the series was a different experience, especially against an opponent like England. We had to be at our best, and I certainly can say that towards the end, we were at our best to come out on top on four occasions. I am so very pleased with how we played that series,” Rohit said in an interview with team45ro.

Like every cricket captain, and especially in an unpredictable format like red-ball cricket, RO had his fair share of dilemmas. But, in his own words, he had the right people to keep him in the right mental space.

“For starters, playing Test cricket is never easy. It takes a lot out of you. As a captain, I wondered how to pressure these guys (England). There were lots of talks behind the scenes. Luckily, I have a superb support staff who are always there to help me, guide me, and suggest how to approach any situation that comes up,” he added.

Ollie Pope was one of the architects of the first Test defeat at Hyderabad, and Rohit discussed how the result influenced his approach to the remaining Tests in the series.

“The Ollie Pope hundred was brilliant to watch. It was one of the best knocks I have seen by an overseas batter, and it actually won them the Test. When you lose the first match, thoughts and questions on combinations, the brand of cricket, etc., creep in. For me, it was essential to stay calm and let it flow as it is. Let whatever has happened sink in, and then see what we can do in the next Test match. It was important to tell the group that we must not panic as there are still four games to go.”

The Indian team that played the Test series was certainly different, with youngsters ably filling in for the absence of some senior stars like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara. Rohit was full of praise for the young talents for taking in advice and making it work in their own way.

This series saw India hand debuts to five talents, and Rohit Sharma said he enjoyed all of them.

“I had fun watching them (Rajat Patidar, Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan, Akash Deep and Devdutt Padikkal) make their debuts because their family was present and the overflowing emotion was something special,” he said.

Ahead of the third Test, after Sarfaraz Khan was handed his Test cap, Rohit Sharma went and hugged Sarfaraz’s father, Naushad Khan. The Hitman told us what the conversation was.

“You see, when I was young, I played the Kanga League with Sarfaraz’s father. He was a left-handed batter who was aggressive and had made a name for himself in Mumbai’s domestic circuit. I wanted to appreciate all his efforts over the years, which have now borne fruit. The many Test caps your son (Sarfaraz) will get, it will be yours too,” he said.

Following his impressive nine-wicket outing in the second Test at Visakhapatnam, Jasprit Bumrah became the first Indian pacer to top the official world test rankings. This display compelled Rohit Sharma to make one strong statement.

“That Bumrah spell at Vizag was unreal. On a flat pitch and 35-36 degrees, it is nearly impossible for a fast bowler to bowl that spell. And then comes Bumrah, who gets the ball to reverse both sides and brings the team into the game. I have never seen any fast bowler in India bowled the way he has bowled and got us those wickets.”

Continuing with anecdotes on the second Test, Rohit Sharma emphasised how important the victory was.

“(Yashasvi) Jaiswal’s innings (209) covered half the percentage of the team’s score, while the next best was 30-40. For us to come back into the Test series and perhaps win the next three matches on the trot, someone had to put their hand up to bail the team out in the second match. And for the same, there was Bumrah and Jaiswal.”

While Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja shone with the bat and bowl in crunch situations - as usual - Rohit singled out how Kuldeep Yadav pleased him the most.

“The way he (Kuldeep) bowled in those four Test matches brought in crucial wickets. I remember his wicket of Zak Crawley, which brought us a breakthrough at Vizag. At Rajkot, Ben Duckett was batting on 150, an important wicket. Even at Dharamsala now, he got Zak Crawley out, who was batting in his 70s. However, what was more pleasing for me to see was his batting. He has been working hard, and it was great to see him get the reward for the bat.”

So, what was India's turning point in the series?

“The partnership (76 runs) between (Dhruv) Jurel and Kuldeep in the fourth Test at Ranchi turned out to be series-defining because that is where we won the series. Otherwise, it would have been 2-2. In the end, on Day 4, when Jurel and (Shubhman) Gill batted when the team was 120/5, we thought we were on the back foot and a 40-run partnership was needed at the very least. But then, Jurel and Gill came forward and showed what they were made of. We got to see how, in such a situation, these guys stitched a partnership and played that brand of cricket while absorbing pressure. Seeing from the outside, it was a sheer delight to watch these guys batting it out in that situation. That got me thinking that, yes, we now have a great future in cricket in our hands with these players.”

Rohit spoke with a big smile on Ravichandran Ashwin, the matchwinner.

“Ravi Ash. His career speaks for itself. Look at the Man of the Series and Man of the Match awards he has won; it tells you he is a matchwinner for India. Whenever we play in India or even overseas, this guy always puts his hands up. Imagine the amount of pressure he has to go through: if there are innings where he hasn’t taken wickets, suddenly people start talking, ‘Oh! he is not bowling well. This is happening, that is happening’. Listen, he (Ashwin) is also a human being and at the end of the day, he is also trying his best. But for him to come out in such a situation on top every time and keep delivering in series after series says a lot about what kind of bowler he is.”

Lastly, the Hitman set the record straight on his attitude as the captain of the Indian team.

“Handling all these guys on the field has really been good. They also enjoyed the same. Sometimes I say something that gets caught on the stump microphone, but that’s me; that’s who I am. It is not to hurt anyone, but it is just to ensure each person is on their job; they are thinking about the team and thinking about how to make a difference on the field. I was pleased to see everyone engage with it. I also tell them that there is no fooling around here. Sometimes you can, but don’t forget the job at hand. However we do it, it doesn’t matter as long we get the job done. I hope I can play a lot of cricket together with these guys in the future.”