After India lost the Melbourne Test by 184 runs, Rohit Sharma infuriated the supporters by placing the responsibility on the young players. India squandered the opportunity to win a hat-trick of Test series on Australian soil after falling behind 1-2 in the five-match series on Monday, December 30. On Day 5, India was bowled out for 234 in 83.4 overs after chasing 340 in the fourth innings. The 37-year-old Rohit stated during the news conference following the game that the kids needed to practice converting their starts.
Rohit's remarks after the match
"We got plenty of chances to win or even draw the game. But there are many guys who scored runs, but could have played a big innings. The guys are new and they will learn as they keep playing," Rohit said in the post-match press conference.
Rohit also discussed Pant's playing style. After getting out to the rash shot in the first innings, Pant received a lot of criticism. The 27-year-old Pant appeared composed in the second before he was pulled down a poorly timed shot on Travis Head's delivery. According to Rohit, Pant must comprehend the game and adjust his decisions accordingly.
"It's [Pant's dismissal] just happened, there hasn't been any discussion about today. Obviously we've lost the game, everybody is disappointed about how things panned out ... But again, look, Rishabh Pant obviously he needs to understand what is required from himself,” Rohit said.
"More than any one of us telling him, it's about him understanding and figuring out what's the right way to go about it. In the past, he has given us lot of success doing what he does. As a captain, there's a kind of mixed reaction to that,” Rohit added.
Fans are extremely unhappy with Indian captain Rohit Sharma for throwing the youngsters under the bus following the loss in Boxing Day Test. India will now be heading to Sydney where they will face the Aussies in the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This will be the New Year Test and now Australia have the big opportunity to not only beat India but also seal their spot in the final of the World Test Championship next to South Africa.