Rohit Sharma on Pune’s loss to New Zealand – ‘We didn’t put enough runs on the board in the first innings’

“I didn’t think we batted well enough to get runs on the board,” said Rohit in his post-match speech. “Yes, if you want to win Test matches, you have to take 20 wickets, yes, but the batsmen have to put runs on the board as well.

“We didn’t put enough runs on the board in the first innings, and then we fell behind in the game – by 100. [103] runs towards New Zealand, and from there, it was obviously a big fight for us to restrict them to 250-odd. [255, in the second innings]but we also saw that it would be a challenge, but we gave it all we had.

“We came out thinking we could chase that target, but again, constant pressure from both of them [ends] it meant we couldn’t respond to those challenges.”

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

“No, it’s not [too many runs],” he said. “To be honest, when they started, they were 200-odd [197] for 3, then to come back to get them out for 259 was a huge effort. But again, I thought it wasn’t a platform where a lot happened. We just didn’t hit well. Had we been closer to that point in the first innings, things would have been a little different, but again, New Zealand played better. “

With losses in Bengaluru and Pune putting India 2-0 down, they go into the third Test in Mumbai under pressure to prevent their first elimination in a home series of three or more Tests. There is also pressure to score enough points in that Test match and the five-match series in Australia that will follow to ensure India stay in the race for the World Test Championship next year, but for now Rohit said they are focused on that for now. work in hand.

“We want to show well in Wankhede and try to win that Test match,” he said. “Not thinking is too far. It is important that we focus on our next game, what is the best we can do as a team because we fail together. I am not someone who can blame the batsmen or the bowlers. It is a team that has failed to accept the challenge thrown at us, it is simple [as that]. We will come out with better intentions, better ideas, and better ways at the Wankhede.”