India vs New Zealand: India captain Rohit Sharma described Sunday’s unprecedented 0-3 whitewash at home to New Zealand as the lowest point of his career and took full responsibility for the Test series debacle. For the first time, India has faced a humiliating defeat by 25 runs in the third Test against New Zealand on its own soil. Facing the target of only 147 runs set by the New Zealand team, the Indian team was all out for 121 runs. Even before this, the host team had to face a humiliating defeat in the first two Test matches of the series.
Rohit said in the press conference after the match that whatever has happened is the lowest point of my career and I take full responsibility for it. He said that losing a Test series like this at home is not easily digestible. “Yes, absolutely (bitter pill to swallow),” Rohit said after the match. Losing a series, a Test match is never easy… something that is not easily digestible. We did not play our best cricket. New Zealand played better in the entire series. We made a lot of mistakes. He said that in the first two Tests, we did not score enough runs in the first innings. In this game we got a lead of 30 runs (28) and the target could have been chased. We failed as a unit. When you are chasing such a target, you want runs on the board. This thing was in my mind and it did not come out. It doesn’t look good when results don’t come out. Rohit also admitted that he was disappointed with his performance in the series.
The Indian captain said that I go with some plans and they were not fulfilled in this series. We did not play our best cricket in these conditions and we are suffering the consequences of that. I could not lead the team as captain and also give my best performance with the bat. Collectively as a unit we failed to perform. The captain said that he will review his game. He said that he accepts that he has not batted well in this series, but only in two series I have not batted well. As you grow, you try and develop and I’m trying to see what else I can do. I have a chance to reconsider.