"You've got to pick 20 wickets to win, yes, but batters have to put runs on the board" - Rohit Sharma on India's display in 2nd IND vs NZ 2024 TestÂ
Team India skipper Rohit Sharma reflected on the performance that led to a 113-run defeat in the second Test against New Zealand, and the end of an iconic 12-year streak on home soil. The Men in Blue were bowled out for 245 in their pursuit of the target in the fourth innings on Day 3 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune on Saturday, October 26.
Team India were second best by a comprehensive margin as New Zealand outplayed them across all departments for the second time running. The bowlers staged a fightback to bowl out the visitors for 259 in the first innings after Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway had ensured a strong start.
India, however, folded out for a paltry 156 in reply, handing New Zealand a valuable lead which they capitalized in the second innings.
Rohit Sharma lamented the poor collective batting display, where only three batters were able to cross the 30-run mark.
"Disappointing. It's not what we expected. Got to give credit to NZ - they played better than us. We failed to capitalise on certain moments. We failed to respond to those challenges. And we sit here today. Didn't think we batted well enough to get runs on the board. You've got to pick 20 wickets to win, yes, but batters have to put runs on the board," Rohit Sharma said during the post-match presentation.
Fans and pundits had panned India's approach, technique, and shot selection during the first innings that led to a poor total. While India bettered their effort the second time around, the target ended up being too steep to climb against the in-form New Zealand bowlers.
"Things would've been slightly different had we got a bit closer in the first innings" - Rohit Sharma
India's poor display in the first innings proved to be costly, just like it did in the series opener in Bengaluru. On that occasion, India were bundled out for 46 runs, and while they made a comeback in the second innings, they were made to pay for their poor outing on Day 1.
Rohit Sharma labelled the defeat as a 'collective failure', and opined that India could have done better in the first innings considering that the pitch was decent to play on at that time.
"Wasn't a pitch where a lot was happening. We just didn't bat well enough. Things would've been slightly different had we got a bit closer in the first innings. We want to show up well at Wankhede and try and win that Test. It's a collective failure. I'm not somebody who would blame just the batters or the bowlers," Rohit Sharma added.
The third Test between India and New Zealand is scheduled to begin from November 1 onwards at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.