Following the series loss, India’s skipper, Rohit Sharma, stated that his team’s inability to seize opportunities contributed to the loss. According to the 37-year-old, the players failed to bat effectively in either of the innings and did not react well to the challenges. He also commended the visitors for their strong performance and victory in Pune.
It was Team India’s first home Test series loss in twelve years. In Pune, the batting unit fell short of expectations, the team losing by 113 runs. The spinners from New Zealand, especially Mitchell Santner, held the hosts in check the entire time and ultimately won the match for his team, so the hosts never appeared to be in control of the match. In addition, he was named Player of the Match for his outstanding 13-wicket performance during the match.
It’s not what we had anticipated. NZ deserves praise because they outperformed us. We were unable to capitalise on several opportunities. Those challenges went unanswered. We didn’t believe that our batting performance was good enough to score runs. While it is true that you must take 20 wickets to win, batters must also score runs. It was a fantastic comeback to limit them to about 250, but we were aware that it would be difficult,” Rohit stated during the post-match presentation.
We could have done a little better if we had been a little closer in the first inning: Rohit Sharma.
Furthermore, Rohit believes the squad will perform better in the third Test at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. He disclosed that although it wasn’t particularly challenging to bat on the Pune surface, the players didn’t take any chances in the middle. But he underlined that none of the players should be held accountable, and he expects that everyone would enter the series with a stronger intention, strategy, and thought.
It was a pitch with a lot of activity. Our batting was simply insufficient. If we had been a little closer in the first inning, things might have turned out differently. We want to strive to win that test and perform well at Wankhede. We’re all to blame for it.
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Neither the bowlers nor the batsman alone would be my point of fault. At Wankhede, we will emerge with greater purpose, better concepts, and better strategies,” Rohit said.
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