India lost a Test series at home for the first time in 12 years.
India captain Rohit Sharma says there should be no overreaction after the hosts lost the second Test in Pune to New Zealand by 113 runs on day three. This also meant that New Zealand went 2-0 up in the series and registered their maiden Test series win in India.
India lost the second Test by 113 runs after failing in pursuit of a stiff 359-run target. The loss also ended India’s 12-year unbeaten and 18 consecutive Test series wins streak at home also. India had last lost a Test series in 2012 to England.
"You don't need to overreact. But you need to have a quiet chat with certain individuals and let them know where they are at and what, as a team, we require from them. I don't think you need to make them sit in a team room on a one-on-one basis and go through their innings and tell them this is what you should be doing. I don't think this is the right forum to do that.
Just because we have lost a series, I don't think there is anything that we need to talk about differently or do differently. But yeah, we need to find ways to come out of those situations,” Rohit Sharma said in a post-match press conference.
Rohit said he trusts his teammates, who have won India so many matches. Some of India's senior players, including batting standout Virat Kohli and senior spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, had a minor impact on the series, which India lost 0-2.
Aside from the seasoned triumvirate, skipper Rohit was unable to fire in the ongoing series, with his previous four innings totaling 2, 52, 0, and 8.
"I do not doubt anyone's ability. I won't do much postmortem of this, but batters must come with their plans and trust on the plans like New Zealand batters showed,” he added.
The Mumbaikar understands that such a measured approach is the need of the hour since India will depart next month to Australia for a five-match Test series.
"This is not how we want to play cricket. But, again, it's important that when we (the current lot of seniors) were in the place of having played only five or six Test matches, all we wanted was support from the team, the captain, the coach, and the management.
That is what I'm going to try and do with a lot of guys who haven't been to Australia or playing their first or second Test matches. So, clear messages, keeping them nice and calm, making them feel that they belong here. That is our responsibility,” he explained.
Rohit said he would not want an atmosphere in the team where players start doubting their skills.
"Of course, it (series defeat) is important to look at. But not react so much that the guys who are within the team start feeling that something different is happening. I don't want to create that kind of environment where people start doubting themselves, people start taking unnecessary pressure,” he said.
Rohit urged everyone around to focus on the good things rather than focusing on an odd blip.
"Look at the number of games we have won in India. I think I was just watching the television, out of the 54 Test matches we have won 42. That's nearly 80% of the Test matches we have won. So, there are more good things that have happened than the bad things. So why look at bad things so much? "Of course, you lose a series here and there. For a good 12 years we had that great run which meant that we were doing a lot of good things in those periods," he said.
Rohit Sharma also defended veteran spin duo R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who were criticized for their lack of control, while Kiwi Mitchell Santner picked 13 wickets and India’s Washington Sundar took 11 wickets.
"They are expected to run through teams and win matches for us. I don't think it is fair, it is our collective responsibility to win. Both of them have played so much and such huge contributions in the 18 series, these two have played a huge role in that.
We are talking about someone with 500 and 300 wickets and they have won Tests for us. It is very hard to have expectations of them. It can happen and that's the time others need to step up. It is the collective batting unit that needs to come together. It is the same with the bowling unit," he signed off.
The third and final Test will begin in Mumbai on November 1.
(PTI inputs)