Rohit Sharma Takes Responsibility for India’s Historic Home Whitewash Against New Zealand

In the wake of India's first-ever 3-0 home Test series whitewash, captain Rohit Sharma acknowledged his shortcomings both as a leader and a batter. Following a disappointing 121 all out while chasing a modest target of 147 in the final Test in Mumbai, Sharma admitted the team's failures and the need for reflection.

"This will definitely be a very low point in my career," Rohit stated during the post-match press conference. "I fully take the responsibility as a captain and a leader. I have not been at my best from the start of the series, and I haven't performed well with the bat either."

Despite a brief resurgence when Rishabh Pant scored a quickfire 64, India found themselves in dire straits at 29 for 5 before Pant's dismissal triggered a collapse. Reflecting on his decision-making throughout the series, Rohit expressed regret over his choice to bat first on a challenging pitch in Bengaluru, which he believed was a significant tactical error. "Certain decisions didn’t go my way," he noted. "I was not at my best in leadership, which probably cost us the series."

Throughout the series, New Zealand consistently outperformed India, with Sharma conceding, "There were lots of mistakes we made." He emphasized that India failed to post sufficient runs in their first innings in the first two Tests, putting them on the back foot. While the team managed to establish a small lead in the final Test, they could not capitalize on it, demonstrating a lack of application.

Rohit's individual performance has also come under scrutiny, with his scores throughout the series being notably low apart from a single 52 in the second Test. He reflected on his struggles, stating, "When it doesn’t come off, it doesn’t look great. I am very disappointed."

The struggles extended to fellow senior player Virat Kohli, who scored only 93 runs in six innings. Sharma acknowledged the urgency for introspection and improvement as the team prepares to face Australia in just over two weeks.

"Obviously, it’s a cause for concern," he admitted regarding the lack of runs from senior batsmen. "What's done is done. We need to focus on correcting our mistakes and prepare for Australia. It’s crucial to break down the series and focus on one Test at a time."

Despite the series loss, Rohit highlighted the potential shown by younger players such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant, who demonstrated the ability to score on difficult pitches. "Those guys showed how to bat on these surfaces," he said. "We are aware of what we need to do; it’s just unfortunate that it didn’t come off this time."

As India looks ahead, the focus will be on learning from their errors and capitalizing on the upcoming opportunities in Australia.