Mumbai: Rohit Sharma had tried to play down India’s series loss after New Zealand had taken an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the second Test at Pune, saying that the team can have two bad matches after winning 18 consecutive series at home.
But after Sunday’s abysmal 25-run defeat in the final Test at Wankhede Stadium here, the captain had nowhere to hide.
At least he didn’t try to put the blame for the shameful 3-0 Test series whitewash – India’s first ever at home – on others.
Owning responsibility, Rohit admitted that he was “not at my best” both as captain and batter, and that the team made “lots of mistakes.”
Chasing 147 to salvage a face-saving win on a turning pitch, India’s batting capitulated in spectacular fashion to be all out for 121 in less than 30 overs. Except for Rishabh Pant’s belligerent counter-punching knock of 64 (57 balls, 9×4, 1×6), no other batter could come to grips with the spin of Ajaz Patel (6/57, 11 in the match) and Glenn Phillips (3/42).
“Definitely, something like this will be a very low point in my career, having lost three games at home. And, yes, I fully take the responsibility for that as captain and as a leader as well. I have not been at the best of my abilities right from the start of the series. And yeah, with the bat as well, I’ve not been good enough,” Rohit owned up at the post-match press conference.
After Ravindra Jadeja claimed the final wicket of New Zealand’s second innings in the third over of Day 3 to finish with 10 in the match, Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal set out in pursuit of 147. The skipper started the rot as he was out mistiming a pull off Matt Henry for 11.
The Indian slipper aggregated 91 runs in the series, while fellow-senior pro Virat Kohli managed 93 in 6 innings – both at a woeful average of 15 runs per innings.
Looking back on the entire series, Rohit felt let down by some of his decision-making, starting from the opening day of the series when he opted to bat first in conditions favourable for pace bowling. India were skittled out for 46, their lowest ever total in a home Test match.
“Right from the start, I said it. You know, I made a decision about batting first on that Bengaluru pitch, which was not right. And certain tactical errors also, which didn’t go my way. You obviously take chances with those decisions… sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn’t. And this time around, certain decisions that I took didn’t come off. So, yeah, I was not at my best in leadership… Probably cost us the series as well,” Rohit conceded.
The fact that neither he nor Kohli got going in the series was a factor.
“Obviously, it’s (his and Kohli’s lack of runs) a cause of concern without a doubt. If the batters are not performing, that is a cause of concern. But what’s done is done now… As a player, as a captain, as a team, we all have to look forward and see how we can correct what we didn’t manage to achieve here. There is a good opportunity for us to go and do something really, really special in Australia,” Rohit said of the upcoming five-Test tour of Australia.
Brief Scores
New Zealand 1st innings: 235
India 1st innings: 262
New Zealand 2nd innings: 174 (Ravindra Jadeja 5/55, R Ashwin 3/63).
India 2nd innings: 121 in 29.1 overs (Rishabh Pant 64; Ajaz Patel 6/57, Glenn Phillips 3/42).
Result: New Zealand won by 25 runs.
Series: NZ win 3-0.
Player of the Match: Ajaz Patel (11/160).
Player of the Series: Will Young (244 runs).
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