India's World No. 1 ODI batter Rohit Sharma stirred up conversation on Sunday (December 21) with a sharp remark aimed at England's struggles in Australia. Speaking at an event in Gurugram, the Indian stalwart underlined just how challenging Australian conditions can be, using England's ongoing Ashes campaign as a pointed example.
"Australia mein khelna sabse difficult hai, aap England ko puch he sakte ho (playing in Australia is the most difficult, you can ask England about it)," Rohit said while addressing the audience.
Rohit's comment comes at a time when England are enduring a torrid run Down Under in the 2025-26 Ashes series. The visitors have already lost the first three Tests of the five-match contest, effectively surrendering their hopes
of winning an Ashes series in Australia within just 11 days. England were comprehensively beaten by eight wickets in both Perth and Brisbane in matches that ended inside three days, before Australia clinched the third Test at Adelaide Oval by 82 runs on Sunday afternoon.
Although Rohit is widely regarded as one of the greatest batters of the modern era, Australia has presented contrasting chapters in his career across formats. The Indian opener, who scored a century in his most recent international appearance - an ODI in Australia on October 25, 2025 - has enjoyed immense success in white-ball cricket Down Under. He remains the only Indian batter to score 1,000 ODI runs against Australia on their home turf.
However, red-ball cricket in Australia proved far more demanding for Rohit. Since making his Test debut in November 2013 during Sachin Tendulkar's farewell series, he featured in 10 Tests in Australia, managing 439 runs across 19 innings. His tally included three half-centuries, though he also suffered a duck against the Baggy Greens.
Rohit's final Test assignment in Australia was particularly tough. During the 2024-25 series, he played three Tests but could only muster 31 runs from five innings, highlighting the unforgiving nature of Australian conditions even for elite batters.
Meanwhile, Australia have already secured the Ashes and will aim to tighten their grip further when the fourth Test begins at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26 to 30. The hosts, however, could be without key players Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon - Lyon due to injury, while Cummins may be rested as a precaution.
