India's captain Rohit Sharma has taken accountability for the team's underwhelming batting performance in the ongoing first Test against New Zealand. The Indian team faced a challenging day at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Rohit Sharma, who opted to bat first on a challenging pitch and under overcast conditions, explained that the decision was made to put runs on the board. However, the strategy didn't yield the desired results as the New Zealand bowlers exploited the conditions effectively and troubled the Indian batters with the new ball.
India's batting collapse in the first Test against New Zealand was a historic low. The team was bundled out for a mere 46 runs, the lowest Test score ever recorded in Asia. Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain who opened the innings, was the first wicket to fall, setting the tone for the disastrous day.
Rohit Sharma lightens the mood with 'Chalao Talwaar' as he addresses India's 46 all-out disaster
Facing intense media scrutiny, Rohit approached the press conference with a unique strategy. Instead of defensive tactics, he embraced the criticism head-on, humorously challenging the media with the phrase "Chalao Talwaar" (Get your knives out). This unexpected opening remark reflected his acceptance of the team's poor performance and his willingness to face the consequences.
Rohit emphasised the need to restrict New Zealand's scoring to regain momentum. He acknowledged that while the visitors have scored runs, India aims to keep their total as low as possible. To achieve this, India must significantly improve their batting performance in the second innings. The Indian captain also shared his assessment of the pitch, stating that it appears to be settling down. He highlighted the importance of a substantial batting effort to turn the game around. In his conversation with reporters, he elaborated on these points.
"I think for us to stay in the game, we want to not let them get away. [They've scored] Way too many runs, clearly they're 180, so that's about 140 runs [134], so [keep them] as less as possible. The wicket seems to be settling down a little bit, so we expect the pitch to play like that. We got to bat really big in the second and try and see if we can make a game out of that," Rohit said in the post-day presser.
Following their dismal batting performance, India's bowling attack struggled to make early breakthroughs. Devon Conway's exceptional innings of 91 runs, supported by Will Young's contribution of 33 runs, put New Zealand in a strong position. At the end of the day's play, Rachin Ravindra (22*) and Daryl Mitchell (14*) were at the crease, with New Zealand comfortably ahead by 134 runs at 180/3.
Rohit admits pitch misjudgement after India's batting fiasco
The 37-year-old also openly admitted his mistake and said that he clearly misjudged to read the pitch well enough.
"Clearly, misjudgement of the pitch. Obviously, I didn’t read the pitch well enough, and we sit in that situation today. Today was a very bad day for us. We have played matches like these before. It was a challenge, but we need these challenges as and when possible," Rohit added.
