After his team suffered a series whitewash at the hands of New Zealand, Indian captain Rohit Sharma openly acknowledged his disappointment in his performance both as a leader and a batsman throughout the series. He expressed that this realization would linger with him.
Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips orchestrated a masterful display of spin bowling, ensnaring Indian batsmen and propelling New Zealand to a historic 25-run victory. This triumph marked the first time a visiting team had managed to whitewash India in a series consisting of three or more matches on Indian soil.
During the post-match presentation, Rohit Sharma conceded that the defeat was difficult to accept and recognized that the Kiwis had outperformed his team, particularly in the realm of batting.
“We made a lot of mistakes and we will have to accept it. We did not put enough runs on the board in the 1st innings (in Bengaluru and Pune) and we were behind in the game, here, we got a 30-run lead, we thought we were ahead, the target was achievable as well, we had to do better though. You want runs on the board as well, that is something that was there in my mind,” Rohit said.
Addressing his batting struggles throughout the series, Rohit expressed that when things don't go as planned, it can be disappointing and not look great. Despite this, he commended young players Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant for their impressive performances on challenging, spin-friendly pitches.
“You have got to be ahead and be proactive, we are playing on such pitches in the last 3-4 years, we know how to play (and play well). But this series, it did not come off and that is going to hurt. Also, I was not at my best with both bat and as a captain, that is something that will rankle me. But, we did not perform well collectively and that is the reason for these losses,” he added.
In pursuit of a target of 147 runs, India found themselves in a precarious position at 29 runs with five wickets down. However, a resilient half-century by Rishabh Pant, scoring 64 runs off 57 balls including nine fours and a six, provided a glimmer of hope for India. Unfortunately, after Pant's dismissal, India faltered once again and were eventually bowled out for 121 runs.
Ajaz claimed a remarkable six-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 6/57. Additionally, Phillips proved to be effective with the ball, taking three crucial wickets for 42 runs.
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