Rohit on defeat in Pune: “We didn’t score enough runs in the first innings”

Immediately after the 113-run defeat against New Zealand in the Pune Test, which handed India their first home defeat in 12 years, Rohit Sharma suggested that the main reason for the defeat was that the batters failed to score close to the first's total The visitors' innings of 259.

After Mitchell Santner scored 7 for 53 – which he followed up with 6 for 104 in the second innings – India fell to a total of 156 in the first innings and conceded a lead of 103, leaving them to watch the match for the remainder of the Test match. New Zealand set a target of 359, a monumental task on a track with twists and turns, and despite a good start thanks to a 65-ball 77 from Yashasvi Jaiswal, India ultimately fell well short.

“I don’t think we batted well enough to score runs,” Rohit said at the post-match presentation. “If you want to win Test matches, of course you have to have 20 wickets, yes, but the batters also have to have runs on the board.”

“We didn’t score enough runs in the first innings and then we were down in the game – 100.” [103] Runs led to New Zealand and from there it was obviously a great return from us to limit them to around 250 [255, in the second innings]but on the other hand we knew it would be a bit of a challenge but we gave it our all.

“We assumed that we could pursue this goal, but here too there was constant pressure from both sides.” [ends] meant we were unable to respond to these challenges.”

Given the nature of the pitch, there was a feeling that India had allowed New Zealand to score too many runs on the first day of the Test, but Rohit felt his bowlers had done a good job in restricting them to 259.

“No not really [too many runs]” he said. “To be honest, when they started there were about 200 [197] for 3, and then to come back and bowl them for 259 was a big effort. But again, I thought it wasn't a pitch where much happened. We just didn't bat well enough. Had we been closer to that result in the first innings it would have been a little different, but again New Zealand played better.

After defeats in Bengaluru and Pune, where India went down 2-0, they go into the third Test in Mumbai under pressure to avoid their first-ever defeat in a home series of three or more Tests. There is also pressure to win enough points in this Test match and the subsequent five-match series in Australia to ensure India stays in the race for next year's World Test Championship final, but for now Rohit said that they only focused on the immediate task in hand.

“We want to do well in Wankhede and try to win the Test match,” he said. “Don’t think too far ahead. It's important that we focus on our next game and what we can do better as a unit because it's a collective failure. I am not one to blame only the batters or bowlers. This is the team.” It's so simple that we didn't accept the challenge that was given to us [as that]. We will come out of Wankhede with better intentions, better ideas and better methods.”