Following a crushing eight-wicket defeat to New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Rohit Sharma said that the Men in Blue suffered in the game due to the two, three hours of bad cricket on Day 2 where the hosts were bundled out for 46, their lowest Test score at home while adding that the team will look to bounce back in the second Test in Pune.
“In the second innings, with the bat, to come out and play like that, it felt like we were ahead in the game at one stage. We didn’t feel like we were 350 behind and that is something that I am really proud of. When the guys are showing that kind of attitude on the field with the bat, it shows that the mindset is very clear and the guys want to go out there and play with freedom and try and see how we can put the pressure back on the opposition,” Rohit Sharma told reporters after the end of first Test in Bengaluru. “All in all, I thought, except that the first couple of hours, three hours, I thought we played a very good test cricket. When you play a test match in front of any opposition, you know what you have to do and what kind of opposition it is. There are no players in the team that we have never seen before. But again, we have made small mistakes in this game and we are suffering the consequences of those mistakes. But that doesn’t mean that everything is over.”
Even in the home series against England earlier this year, India lost the first Test and then made a comeback to win the series despite a few key players suffering injuries. When asked whether the defeat will affect the dressing room, the Indian skipper said: “We have lost such matches before and we have made a comeback after that. So, we will try not to think too much about this test match and how we have to play in the next two test matches. What we have to do and how we have to defeat the team. It is very important for us to think about this. So, when we go to Pune, we will think about the pitch and what kind of team we can play. Once we go there, we will talk about all this.”
Throughout the first Test, the weather forecast in Bengaluru was a hot topic of discussion. With the first day washed out and other days also witnessing spells of showers, and with only 107 runs to defend, were the Indian players thinking about the overcast conditions before the start of the final day?
“No, see, when you come here, you want to play the game. You are not thinking about what the conditions are, what is going to happen and stuff like that. Because that is not in your control at all,” Rohit said. “Whatever the situation of the game is, unless you believe it, you are not going to achieve it. So, that is the mindset, that is the talk, that is the approach this team has. And I can say it again and again, that this team is not going to give it so easily. We are going to keep fighting till it is over. And that is what we did. With the bat, we were superb in the second innings.”
“I honestly feel there have been a lot of good things that happened in this game. And I am really proud of each and every one to go out there and play like that and show that attitude. You know, looking forward to the second test match in Pune, we know exactly what to expect and where we lie as a team,” Rohit added.
The hosts showed tremendous grit and courage to bounce back from 46 all-out to take a lead in the second innings. At one point when Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant were at the crease during their 177-run stand, murmurs arose that India could even go on to win the Test, especially among fans on social media. However, a lower-middle order collapse meant that the visitors needed just 107 runs to take a 1-0 lead. Despite defending 107, was there enough belief within the team that they could win the Test?
“I thought the way we played was superb. And to get them to chase that 100 runs also was a great effort, after being 350 behind. But when you are chasing a small total like that, you know on a pitch where so much cricket has been played, there is a lot of wear and tear in the pitch, anything is possible.And we have got the quality in our bowling line-up who can achieve that. So, of course, we came up with the belief of trying to pull the results towards us. But, yeah, it didn’t happen,” Rohit said. “We tried everything we could this morning. But it was just not for us, this game. You have got to give credit to New Zealand, they played well.”
Rishabh Pant had taken a blow on his right knee during New Zealand’s first innings, which forced him to not keep wickets for the remainder of the Test. However, the southpaw walked out to bat and cracked a counter-attacking 99, stitching an important partnership with Sarfaraz to bring India back into the game. However, despite batting, Pant didn’t keep wickets and there are doubts whether he would make it to the XI in the Pune Test.
“About his injury, He had a massive operation on his leg. So, we all know what he went through. So, it’s just to be a little careful about where he is at and what he is to us. Even when he was batting, he was not comfortably running. He was trying to only put the ball in the stands.But, again, with someone like him, we just need to be extra careful. Because he has had a lot of minor surgeries, one big surgery on his knee. And he went through a lot of trauma, to be honest, in the last one and a half years.So, it’s just about being extra careful, not careful with him. So, when you are keeping, you have to bend every ball with your knee going down. And the wicket being what it was, we thought it is the right thing to do for him to stay inside and then get 100% ready for the next one,” Rohit said about Pant while adding,” And like I said about his innings, no one knows what goes in his mind, to be honest. He decides what he wants to do. And that is the kind of freedom also we want to give it to him.Because he has produced performances with that mindset. So, I don’t think there is anything that you need to speak to him. We spoke to him, please understand the situation and stuff like that. But that’s Rishabh. He wants to play in a certain way. And then as a captain, as a coach, we want to back that.Because like I said, he has produced results for us having that mindset. So, let him go and play freely.”
India will take on New Zealand for the second Test in Pune, starting October 24.
IND Vs NZ: NZ manage pulling through and register a famous Test win https://t.co/CiB2YxUHWD
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) October 20, 2024
For more sports content: https://revsportz.in/