Rohit Sharma Reflects on Disappointing Series and Captaincy
He pointed out that in the first two Tests, India failed to post adequate runs in their first innings, which placed them at a disadvantage. Despite having a slight lead in the final Test, he noted that the team could not capitalize due to a lack of application.
India's captain, Rohit Sharma, has candidly admitted that he was "not at my best" during a challenging home series that ended in a historic 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand. Following the team's disappointing performance, Rohit expressed regret over both his leadership and batting, noting that the squad "failed as a unit" due to numerous mistakes.
In a must-win chase of 147 runs for potential World Test Championship points, India crumbled to 121 all out, succumbing to the spin bowling of Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips. "This will definitely be a very low point in my career," Rohit said at the post-match press conference. "I take full responsibility for that as captain and as a leader. I have not been at my best right from the start of the series, and with the bat, I have not been good enough."
For a brief moment during the match, when Rishabh Pant scored a quickfire 64 off 57 balls, there was hope for the hosts. However, India's innings fell apart after they were reduced to 29 for 5, and following Pant's contentious dismissal, the team's collapse was swift. Reflecting on his own decision-making, Rohit acknowledged, "I made a decision about batting first on that Bangalore pitch, which was not right."
Rohit's struggles with the bat were evident throughout the series, as he managed only one significant score of 52 in the first Test, with other innings yielding 2, 0, 8, 18, and 11. His difficulties at the crease coincided with a strong series for New Zealand and their new captain, Tom Latham. Rohit recognized that New Zealand played better cricket overall, stating, "There were lots of mistakes that we made throughout the series, and we have to accept it."
He pointed out that in the first two Tests, India failed to post adequate runs in their first innings, which placed them at a disadvantage. Despite having a slight lead in the final Test, he noted that the team could not capitalize due to a lack of application.
Concerns about Rohit’s batting form were compounded by the poor performance of fellow senior batter Virat Kohli, who scored just 93 runs in six innings. Rohit acknowledged that this lack of runs is troubling and called for serious introspection. "If the batters are not performing, that is a cause of concern," he admitted.
Looking ahead, Rohit expressed hope for the upcoming series against Australia. "We have to correct what we didn't manage to achieve here. There is a good opportunity for us to do something special in Australia." He emphasized the importance of understanding their shortcomings against New Zealand and focusing on improving as a team.
Despite the challenges, Rohit noted positives in the performances of younger players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, and Washington Sundar, who demonstrated that runs could be scored even on tough pitches. "Those guys showed how to bat on these surfaces," he said, indicating that they have the potential to succeed moving forward.
Rohit concluded by stressing the need to break down the upcoming five-match series against Australia into manageable parts, focusing on one Test at a time. He remains committed to addressing the mistakes made in the recent series, aiming to build a stronger team for the challenges ahead.
