Team India suffered a nine-wicket defeat at the hands of Australia in the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore on Friday (March 3).

On a turning track, India’s batting line-up fell like a pack of cards in both innings. The visitors were set a 76-run target to win the third Test and they didn’t break a sweat to overhaul it in the morning session on Day 3.

While the Aussies lost Usman Khawaja on the second delivery of the day, the duo of Travis Head (49*) and Marnus Labuschagne (28*) ensured there were no more hiccups and took the tourists over the line.

Despite the loss, India skipper Rohit Sharma maintained that turning pitches remain the team’s strength and asked the struggling batters to find a way to score on them.

“Before every series we usually decide what kind of pitches we would like to play on. It was our call to play on pitches like these. I don’t think we are putting pressure on the batters. When we win all seems well. We are not asked about our batting.

“It is talked about when we lose. We have decided to play on pitches like these, and we know we can be challenged, but we are ready for that.

“Honestly the pitch talk is getting too much, every time we play in India focus is only on the pitch. We focus too much on the pitch in India. I don’t think that is necessary,” Rohit said in the post-match presser.

The surfaces for the first two Tests in Nagpur and Delhi also drew criticism but the one in Indore copped the most flak. The ball was turning viciously in the first hour itself and uneven bounce made the task tougher for the batters.

Cricket legends such as Dilip Vengsarkar, Matthew Hayden and Mark Waugh felt that the pitch was not good for Test cricket.

“Former cricketers, I don’t think they played on pitches like these. So I don’t know honestly. Like I said, this is the kind of pitches we want to play on. This is our strength. So when you are playing at home, you always play to your strength and not worry about what people are talking about.

“Our strength is spin bowling and batting depth. Other teams use home advantage when we travel overseas. What is wrong in that? Especially when we are getting the results.

“If we were not getting the results I would think otherwise. We are getting the results. Some batters are under pressure but that is okay. You can’t have all members of your team in good form. Few will go through a rough patch but that is okay,” said the Indian captain.

All three Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy have ended inside three days, but Rohit feels results matter more than the duration of matches.

“What can I say about that, people have to play well for the game to last five days,” he said when asked about games finishing early.

“Games are not lasting for five days outside India as well. Yesterday the game got over in three days in South Africa. It is about skills. People have to adapt to skills. If pitches are helping the bowlers, the batters need to try and test their skills.

“It is not always about making sure we are playing on flat pitches and results don’t come your way. Pakistan, there were Test matches there and people said it was boring, We are making it interesting for you guys,” he said.

India’s two innings in Indore folded for 109 and 163, and Rohit told his batters to lift their game.

“Honesty both the innings did not go the way we would have liked to. Even in the first innings, I don’t think there was a lot happening. If you look at the dismissals we played poorly. Out of the 10 wickets may one or two where the pitch did help the bowler.

“Other than that it was the skill of the bowlers who outfoxed the batsman. We played poor shots as well. The way Australia played, they got out for 197. Had they not collapsed they could have gotten to 250-75 as well which would have been a damn good score on a pitch like that.

“Lack of concentration is what I would put it to. Apply yourself and bat for as long as possible and take odd chances in the middle. Do not let bowler bowl six balls in the same spot and try and to do something different, that is something we did not do in both the innings.”

(With PTI Inputs)