England pacer Mark Wood has opened up on his toughest Indian opponents, recalling why Rohit Sharma’s short ball strength, Virat Kohli‘s aggression and Rishabh Pant’s unpredictability have made them three of the most difficult batters he has ever faced.

Speaking on the podcast, Mark Wood has shared his insights into the challenges posed by the Indian trio. On Rohit Sharma, he has explained that the Indian captain’s ability to dominate the short ball made him a unique challenge.

“Yeah, in different stages of my career, I would say Rohit Sharma. Difficult because against the short ball, you feel like you’ve got a chance of getting him out, but also if he’s on that day, he smokes it. So, he was difficult. I always felt like his bat was big, just kept getting wider,” recalled Mark Wood.

Speaking on Virat Kohli, Wood admitted that the stalwarts competitive nature made him stand out, even if bowlers often targeted hin line outside off stump.

“Kohli, obviously. Unbelievable competitor, someone that I felt you have this weakness of fourth, fifth stump, drag him in. We seem to never miss him when I bowl him there. So, that was difficult,” he said.

When speaking about Rishabh Pant, Mark Wood has highlighted the wk-batter unpredictability and fearlessness as his biggest weapons.

“I think you’ve got to hold your nerve. That’s basically what I would say. He can be so unpredictable that it plays into his hands. If you’re the same all the time, he’s got such a good eye, he hits it where he wants. You need to mix it up with a slower ball, a high bouncer, or a fast yorker,” Mark Wood said.

With both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have retired from Tests and T20Is, Pant remains the cornerstone of India’s test side. Mark Wood’s reflection underline how each of them, in their own way, has left a lasting impression on one of the fastest bowlers in the game.

He has also given other three names, Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh. Smith, because he’s so unorthodox, you think you can get him LBW, but he doesn’t miss it… And Marsh,” he added.

Mark Wood will face Smith and Mitchell Marsh at the end of the year during the 2025-26 Ashes.