After five days of nonstop action at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, in front of a record-breaking crowd, Australia emerged victorious in one of the most captivating Test matches in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy's history. In a nail-biting match, Australia's unrelenting strategy and India's ability to bounce back from dangerous circumstances battled. In an era frequently overshadowed by the glitz of T20 cricket, the match provided thrilling sport and was a brilliant advertisement for the timeless allure of Test cricket. Rohit Sharma's remarks after the match have made it clear that he will be playing in the Sydney Test and will not be announcing his retirement after the MCG loss.
Rohit Sharma after the loss
The Indian captain expressed disappointment with the loss and their performance but said they are hoping to make a comeback in Sydney. Rohit also addressed his performance.
"Still a game to go. A series to draw. A draw would be nice. We will try as see what we can correct. We just want to not give up and make sure we do everything possible to move momentum towards us. There are times where we are disappointed with ourselves but we did a lot of things well. There is another chance to turn up in Sydney," said Rohit Sharma in the post-match presentation.
"I stand where I am standing today. Few results didn't go our way as a captain and batter it is disappointing.. mentally its disturbing. But as of now that is where it is there are things we as a team and I need to look at," he added.
In the last session of the last day's play, India won by 184 runs, ending their 13-year winning streak in the Boxing Day Test in Australia. The heroics of Sydney 2021, when they batted all day to save a Test match, were not replicated by India. India's top players, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, failed to perform when the team needed them most after they were given a target of 330.
India's failure to produce as a team harmed their hopes in a Test where Jasprit Bumrah remained unplayable and Nitish Kumar Reddy signalled his arrival with a rearguard hundred. Additionally, it was Australia's first home victory over India in a red-ball Test match since 2018. Australia will have an insurmountable 2-1 advantage going into the series' final Test in Sydney.