Bengaluru. Team India captain Rohit Sharma expressed grief over the Indian team being reduced to a minimum score of 46 runs in 31.2 overs on the second day of the first Test against New Zealand. Five batsmen could not even open their account. Earlier, India’s minimum Test score was 75 runs which it made against West Indies in Delhi in 1987. After the first day’s play was canceled due to rain, Rohit won the toss and decided to bat on the second day, but this decision proved costly.
Rohit admitted in the press conference after the end of the second day that he did not read the pitch well. Rohit said, ‘As a captain, I am sad to see the score of 46 runs because the decision to bat first was mine but one or two bad decisions happen every year.’
Revealing the reason for batting first after winning the toss, Rohit said, ‘We thought that the pitch would not help the fast bowlers in the first session or thereafter. There was not much grass on the pitch. We expected it to become more flat but the mistake was on my part. I couldn’t read the pitch well.
‘I am sad to see the total but…’
Rohit further said, ‘You try to take better decisions by looking at the pitch and conditions. Sometimes you take the right decision and sometimes the decision goes wrong. This time my decision proved wrong. This is a challenge for us as a team. We want to play very good cricket. We want to challenge ourselves. This time it did not happen. We were caught in such a situation that the entire team was all out for 46 runs. As a captain, I am definitely saddened to see this total, but decisions go wrong two or three times in 365 days.
‘There was a mistake in understanding the pitch’
Team India captain said, ‘Look, we thought there was no grass on the pitch. Whenever we play in India, the first session is always important. When spinners come, the wicket becomes helpful for them. This was the reason why we included Kuldeep because he has taken flat pitch wickets. We expected the pitch to become flat but it did not happen. There was definitely a mistake in understanding the pitch.
As soon as he came from the press conference, he said ‘use the sword..’
As soon as Rohit Sharma came for the press conference, he lightened the atmosphere and said, ‘Now use the sword.’ He openly accepted his mistake wholeheartedly. Rohit knew in advance that he would be bombarded with tough questions, so he started the press conference in a good mood as soon as he arrived.
Tags: IND vs NZ 1st test, Rohit Sharma, Team india
FIRST PUBLISHED : October 18, 2024, 10:59 IST