Indian Test captain Rohit Sharma acknowledged that his team had misjudged the pitch conditions during the first Test against New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Rohit Sharma admits pitch misjudgment
Despite the opening day being washed out, India found themselves trailing by 134 runs at the end of the second day, highlighting a big miscalculation in their assessment of the pitch. It was India captain Rohit, who turned up for the press conference following India's batting disaster. The Hitman 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,” said the Indian skipper.
India found themselves trailing by a margin of 134 runs after being bowled out for a meager 46 runs in their first innings. The decision to bat first in the overcast conditions proved to be a miscalculation. The Indian team management also made a strategic choice, opting to include three spinners in the playing XI while leaving out the third pacer. This decision, in hindsight, seemed to have backfired given the challenging conditions.
"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.
New Zealand take control of the 1st Test against India
New Zealand ended the day in a commanding position, reaching 180 for 3 in 50 overs. Devon Conway's impressive innings of 91 runs further compounded India's woes. With a 134-run lead, New Zealand seemed poised to secure a victory.
India's tactical errors, stemming from a misjudgment of the pitch conditions, contributed to their predicament. Rohit's decision to bat first in the overcast conditions proved to be a miscalculation. Even New Zealand captain Tom Latham admitted that he would have opted to bat first if he had won the toss.
Tim Southee and Matt Henry made life difficult for the Indian openers, exploiting the seam movement offered by the pitch. The Indian opening partnership lasted only 6.3 overs, with Rohit Sharma being dismissed for a paltry 2 runs. The Indian batting lineup was further marred by five ducks, with Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, and R Ashwin failing to score at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Rishabh Pant was the top scorer for India with 20 off 49 runs.
