India vs Australia | It will be a different ball game and I understand that, asserts Rohit Sharma

After last playing against South Africa earlier this year, Sharma has again returned to the Indian Test squad for the series in Australia because of his consistent show in the shorter formats of the game. He has been included in the India A team which will tour New Zealand and could get good match practice during the four-day matches to be held there. Sharma is all pumped up for the Australian tour and will look forward to doing well in all the versions of cricket but his focus will be on red-ball cricket where he is trying hard to cement his place in the team. 

"As a team, it will be important to start fresh. Australia will be a different ball-game and I completely understand that. Every time you go there, you are tested as a player, as an individual and as a team. But I think the things we have been doing as a team, we have to keep repeating the performance. So we got to be at our best," Rohit told TOI.

In 25 Tests, Sharma has scored 1479 runs at an average of 39.97 and has always been in and out of the Indian side. During the tour to South Africa, the middle-order batter got 11, 10, 10 and 47 in the four innings where he batted earlier this year. But when it comes to limited overs, Rohit is in great form to tour Australia as in last 19 ODIs this season, he has 1030 runs at an impressive average of 73.57 along with that he has scored 560 runs in 16 T20I games.

"Test matches are something I was looking forward to for a long time. So it will be nice to go out there and play a Test match again for India. But then, we have the T20Is (three-match series) and practice games before the first Test. So I am not thinking too far ahead now,” the stylish right-hander said.

"As a batsman, I don't think what I have done in the past. Every game is a new game. Every time I go out there in the middle, I keep things simple. This game is simple if you keep it simple. If you overthink, it can get complicated. So it is important to stay in present. It is important to start well in Australia and then, take it from there. If I try and stay in present, it works for me.”