Rohit Sharma-led India bulldozed England by 142 runs to not only win the third ODI but also whitewash the three-match series 3-0 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 12, Wednesday. This win marked India's second-biggest ODI win over England.
India posted a mammoth total of 356 runs while batting first. Shubman Gill led the charge with a magnificent century, while Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli chipped in with brilliant half-centuries. The Indian bowlers then took over, with all six bowlers managing to pick up at least one wicket. Their combined efforts resulted in England being bowled out for just 214 runs in 34.2 overs.
Rohit Sharma defends his dismissal in 3rd ODI against England
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma was a happy captain following his team's outstanding performance in not only in the final ODI but throughout the series. However, Rohit Sharma, after cracking a blistering century in Cuttack, couldn't do much with the bat in the final ODI. Addressing his own dismissal for just one run in the game, India captain simply said that he couldn't have done much about it and credited Mark Wood's exceptional delivery. He stated that bowlers are there to dismiss batsmen, accepting his low score with grace.
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"Very very pleasing (with the way the series went). We knew there will be challenges that we could face. I mean there is nothing I could have done about that (the ball that got rid of him today). Credit to the bowler, and the bowler is there to get you out, and you are there as a batter to challenge that. Just nicked the ball, second ball I was facing and couldn't have done anything about that," Rohit said, during the post-match presentation.
The Hitman was all praise for his teammates, the way everyone chipped in with their respective roles and rallied the team to an emphatic outing against England. He felt they had successfully achieved many of their goals and executed their strategies effectively. While acknowledging India's status as a champion team, but also admitted that there were still areas where the team could refine their skills and performance as they progress.
"I don't see there was anything wrong we did this series. Obviously there are certain things we are looking at (to improve) and I am not going to stand here and explain those. It is our job as well to keep some consistency within the squad and the communication is clear.
"Obviously any champion team wants to get better every game and move forward from there. Very happy with the score (at the break). There is a bit of freedom in the squad to go out there and play the way you want. The World Cup was a perfect example of that and we want to continue to do that. There will be times it will not fall in place but that's okay," he concluded.
Rohit's brigade will now shift their focus on the all-important Champions Trophy 2025 which is slated to kick off from February 19. India's Champions Trophy campaign will start with a clash against Bangladesh on February 20. They will then lock horns with their arch-rivals Pakistan on February 23 which will be followed up by a battle against New Zealand on March 2