Rohit Sharma‘s remarks after India‘s Test series loss to New Zealand have attracted considerable attention. The Indian captain noted that one home Test series defeat in 12 years is “allowed.”
India’s impressive home record was halted with a 113-run loss in the Pune Test on October 26, marking New Zealand’s first Test series victory in India as they took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
During the post-match press conference, Sharma acknowledged that India’s batting collapses have been recent occurrences. He emphasized that the team has consistently performed well with the bat at home, even on difficult pitches.
Rohit Sharma stated:
“It’s been two games where there have been some collapses. We have won a lot of matches in India, are you thinking about it that batters have scored runs on bad pitches and won matches? This is the first time that there have been collapses and we haven’t been able to bat well.”
“Toh, 12 saal mein ek baar to allowed hai yaar (So, it is allowed for one time in 12 years). If these collapses had been there for 12 years, we wouldn’t have won. We have a lot of expectations in India that we have to win every match. We have created that habit, it’s not your fault.”
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Notably, India was dismissed for a mere 46 runs in the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru, marking their lowest-ever Test total at home. They made a strong comeback by scoring 462 runs in the next innings, though it was still a losing effort.
In the recent Pune Test, India’s batting faltered again. They were bowled out for 156 in their first innings and then all out for 245 while attempting to chase a daunting target of 359 runs.
“You need to have a candid conversation with specific individuals”- Rohit Sharma regarding India’s poor performance
During the post-match press conference, Rohit Sharma stressed that India should not overreact to their Test series defeat against New Zealand. He added that the team management will hold discussions with some players to clarify expectations.
Rohit Sharma further stated (via Hindustan Times):
“You don’t need to overreact. But you need to have a quiet chat with certain individuals and let them know where they are at and what, as a team, we require from them.”
“I don’t think you need to make them sit in a team room on a one-on-one basis and go through their innings and tell them this is what you should be doing. I don’t think this is the right forum to do that.”
To secure a spot in the final of the current World Test Championship (2023-25) cycle without relying on other teams’ results, the Rohit Sharma-led team must win four of their last six matches.
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