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In the wake of India’s first home Test series loss in 12 years, captain Rohit Sharma conceded that batting struggles in the first innings of the Pune Test laid the foundation for the 113-run defeat to New Zealand. The challenging pitch, compounded by a sub-par first innings total of 156, left India trailing by over 100 runs and struggling to mount a recovery.
Rohit refrained from attributing the loss to a singular issue but highlighted India’s need to evolve in their approach to spin. He noted that while New Zealand’s batters adapted by employing varied scoring techniques, the Indian lineup faced challenges.
“The pitch was not bad at all. We just didn’t play well enough to get closer to that first inning score of theirs,” Rohit said in the post-match interview. “And then obviously with 100 runs behind, we always knew that it is going to be challenging whatever score we have to get. Because as the game went on, the pitch started behaving slightly differently.”
Adapting against spin: Learning from New Zealand’s approach
New Zealand’s batters, especially Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Tom Latham, utilized sweeps, reverse sweeps, and paddles to manipulate the field, putting Indian bowlers under constant pressure. Rohit acknowledged this as a valuable learning point for the Indian lineup. “You have to look to get runs also and that’s how you try and put the bowlers under pressure,” Rohit said.
“Like I just mentioned about New Zealand batters, they were trying to do different things and it worked very well for them. Because they were trying to do different things and put bowlers under pressure and in that process, there is a good chance that the bowlers will try and do different things, misread the length, and that works in the opposition’s favour and that is exactly what happened.
“That’s one thing that we wanted to do as a team. Try and play paddle, reverse, sweep. Because when you do those kind of things, they have to take one extra man from the front and put it behind. And that allows you to then play straighter and hit those gaps. And that is what New Zealand did. They exploited that fielders, they played that reverse and sweep and paddle, which meant we had to put the fielders behind square.
“And that allowed them to then play with a straighter bat as well. So that is what we have been discussing. We need to try and find ways to score runs.
Though India have been accustomed to dominance at home, this loss underscored the need for adaptability. Rohit added, “Because when you are playing on pitches like this, where the odd ball turns, the odd ball comes with the arm, you have to find options to do different things. And then when you play with that field a little bit, it allows you to then play with a straighter bat as well. We have been talking about that for a while, of sweeping and reverse sweeping and stuff like that.
“But eventually, when the player goes out in the middle, it is his decision what he thinks at that particular time is right to do against certain bowlers. Certain bowlers, it is not easy to sweep and reverse sweep. Because they get the ball to come in really quick. So yeah, it depends on every batter that is in the middle to take that call. Whether it is doing that or whether it is going down the ground, stepping out and playing with your soft hand, pushing the ball in the gap, all those things. So that is what I think overall, if I look at the last 10-15 Test matches that we played in India, we did that. We were not able to do it in these two games.”
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Balanced response to a rare series loss
Despite the setback, Rohit was quick to dispel any notion of drastic changes to the team’s approach or personnel. He emphasized the broader picture of India’s recent successes, including series victories over England and Bangladesh. “We are not able to bat properly. So, it is allowed once in 12 years. If there were such collapses for 12 years, then we would not have been able to win. But, in India, we have a lot of expectations. That we have to win all the matches. We have made it a habit. Not that it is your fault. Because we have played such good cricket. So, the expectations have gone above a level where the expectations are that India cannot do anything wrong in India. This does not happen,” he reflected.
“Because the opposition is also playing cricket. The opposition has been watching India for so many years. What is India doing? Why does India win so many matches? So, they also come prepared. So, sometimes there is a very small margin where an outside team is coming. They are playing a little better than us and winning. That’s it. I cannot see much in that. Because, as I said, we have played very challenging cricket in the last four years. If you see, we won the last series against Bangladesh. And before that, we won against England. 4-1. If you remember the scenarios, you will know how we won those Test matches.”
Looking forward, Rohit assured fans that Team India remain committed to maintaining their high standards, with tweaks to approach rather than fundamental shifts.
“We are sad. It is important to be sad. But, it does not mean that you have to change your entire system. Our system is that we are playing cricket in one way. We just need to change our style a little. That’s it,” he concluded.
