Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has opined that the team will follow the same approach, despite losing the opening test against New Zealand. Rohit shared his take on India’s defeat at a post-match press conference in Bengaluru.
The game saw Rohit choosing to bat first in overcast conditions, which eventually spelled trouble for them. They were bundled out for a meager 46, which is now their lowest score in a home Test. Then, New Zealand responded strongly by taking a mammoth lead of 356 runs.
However, the Indian team bounced back to compile a total of 462, with Sarfaraz Khan (150) as the top-scorer. Although the Indian team did well to set up a target of 107, they were looking well set to take a lead of 200+ runs at one point. The second new ball did the trick for the Black Caps, as they picked up consistent wickets.
Thereafter, New Zealand were under the pump after losing their openers to Jasprit Bumrah. But, the pair of Will Young (48) and Rachin Ravindra (39) played mature knocks to help New Zealand win their first Test match on Indian soil after 36 years.
As per Rohit Sharma, India will not change their mindset due to the fear of losing the game. He said:
“We don’t change our mindset based on one game or one series. We are not going to change our mindset fearing the losing of a Test match.”
The 37-year-old pointed out their mindset reaped fruits in a recent Test against Bangladesh. The game saw India manage to win the game despite losing more than two days of action due to rain.
“Some of the Test matches we played recently shows what I am talking about and that’s how it’s going to be. It’s one thing to talk about it, but actually we went out there (in Bengaluru) and played some fearless cricket,” added Rohit.
Rohit Sharma praises Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway
Rohit Sharma reserved praise for the New Zealand batters, Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway for their impressive knocks in the game. The first innings saw Conway setting up a strong platform for the visitors by scoring 91, while Ravindra continued the team’s momentum by slamming 134. Both players displayed their terrific ability against the spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav.
Here’s what Rohit said about the duo in a post-match press conference:
“Some of the shots Rachin played were really, really good. He played well against spinners. He understood what our spinners were trying to do and he didn’t back off from playing his natural game. Rachin and (Devon) Conway put our spinners under pressure playing different shots,” he said.
Nevertheless, Rohit recalled India keeping Ollie Pope quiet for the rest of the games after he made 196 in the first test of the five-match series earlier this year. After losing the opening test, India went on to clinch the series 4-1.
India will meet New Zealand in the second Test fixture on Thursday, October 24 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
