IND vs NZ, 1st Test: Clear misjudgement of the pitch, says Rohit after Indian collapse

India is 134 runs behind after being dismissed for a paltry 46 runs in its first innings, its lowest Test total at home, having chosen to bat first in overcast conditions.

India’s captain Rohit Sharma, on 2nd day of the first cricket test match between India and New Zealand. | Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K/ The Hindu

Fronting up to the media after India was bowled out for 46, its lowest Test total at home, in the first innings of the opening Test against New Zealand on Thursday, skipper Rohit Sharma admitted to misreading the pitch and acknowledged that he was hurting from his decision to bat first and fielding an extra spinner. 

“We felt there was not much grass on the pitch and we thought it will do whatever it has to do in the first couple of sessions, and then it is going to take turn as the game goes on. Whenever we play in India, the first session is always critical, then the wicket tends to settle down and the spinners come into play. The reason to back Kuldeep Yadav was, because he has bowled on flat pitches and has taken wickets. We expected the pitch to be a little flatter than what it turned out to be. Clearly, misjudgement of the pitch. Obviously, I didn’t read the pitch well enough, and we sit in that situation today,” he said. 

“I am hurting a little bit, because I made that call. But we want to challenge ourselves. This time it didn’t come off, the challenge that was thrown at us. We didn’t respond well, and we found ourselves in a situation where we got bowled out for 46 runs. As a captain, it definitely hurts to see that number, but in 365 days, you will make two or three bad calls, that’s absolutely fine, I guess,” Rohit added. 

With Rohit dismissed early and Shubman Gill missing out due to a stiff neck, Virat Kohli came out to bat at No. 3, for the first time in Tests since 2016. He departed for a nine-ball duck and prompted discussions around the possibility of having sent KL Rahul, who has previously opened the innings in Tests, in that position. 

However, the skipper explained that the team management didn’t want to tinker too much with Rahul’s batting position. 

“After a long time, KL has found a place at No.6. So, we want to make him bat there. The experienced players are the ones who have to take that extra responsibility, and this time it was Virat. He was the one who was ready to do that. We asked him whether he can bat at No. 3, because we wanted to give Sarfaraz [Khan] also the position in which he usually bats. We didn’t want to change Rishabh [Pant] and KL, and hence Sarfaraz went at four and Virat batted at three,” he said. 

After New Zealand took a sizeable lead, India’s day only got worse as Pant hobbled off the field after missing a stumping opportunity to dismiss Devon Conway.

Though Dhruv Jurel replaced him behind the stumps till the end of the day’s play, Rohit was hopeful about Pant taking the field on Friday. 

“Unfortunately, the ball hit straight on his kneecap, the same leg he has done a surgery on. He has got a little bit of swelling on it, and the muscles are quite tender at this point of time. It is a precautionary measure, we don’t want to take a risk, Rishabh doesn’t want to take a risk,” Rohit informed.