Was not at my best as captain and batter: Rohit after 0-3 whitewash

Rohit Sharma entered the history book for all the wrong reasons, becoming the first Indian captain to get whitewashed at home in a three or more-match Test series. If the first two Tests in Bengaluru and Pune were a rarity, New Zealand ensured that they put India yet again on the mat in Mumbai, at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, leaving India red-faced.

Personally, Rohit's series was forgettable, with no sort of impact, both with the bat and as a captain. The Indian skipper finished the series with just 91 runs, averaging 15.16, and made several errors on the field, including opting to bat first in Bengaluru while picking up Mohammed Siraj in the third Test, only for the latter to not bowl much. 

“This was an unfortunate series where we tried certain things that did not come off. I was not at my best as captain in leading the team as well as with the bat. Collectively, as a unit, we failed to perform,” Rohit admitted in the post-match presentation. 

Only once in the history of sport has India been whitewashed at home, in 1999/2000, with Sachin Tendulkar as captain. Rohit also admitted that the Men in Blue didn’t play their ‘best cricket’ and said that the whitewash was undigestible. 

"Losing a series, a Test match, is never easy... something that is not easily digestible. We didn't play our best cricket, New Zealand played better throughout the series. There were a lot of mistakes we made,” Rohit said. 

Rohit reasoned out how India’s batting display in the first innings in this entire series has been quite concerning before, stating that 147 was quite ‘chaseable’ on this wicket. The 37-year-old got out quite early in the run chase, after just scoring 11, trying to play an aggressive pull shot. 

“In the first two Tests, we did not put enough runs in the first innings. In this game, we got the 30 runs [28] lead, and the target was chaseable. We failed as a unit. When you are chasing a target like that, you want runs on the board. That was in my mind, and it did not come off. When it does not come off, it does not look great. I go in with certain plans, and those did not come off this series,” he added. 

However, India could take a few positives from the shambolic series defeat, including Rishabh Pant’s return, Washington Sundar’s all-round prowess, and Gill’s return to form. 

“We did not play our best cricket in these conditions and are facing the result of that. Pant, Gill, and Washington showed how to bat on those surfaces. You have to be proactive, last three-four years we have been playing on pitches like that.”

India’s next assignment is a five-match Test series against India, with the first of the five Tests starting on November 22 in Perth.

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