Rohit after India’s WTC final loss: Experienced batters couldn’t get big runs and that cost us

India captain Rohit Sharma stated that the experienced batters did not perform up to expectations in the ICC WTC final against Australia.

The next WTC cycle could see some changes in the India squad. The key will be to find the right players for the roles, Rohit said. | Photo Credit: AP

India captain Rohit Sharma stated that the experienced batters did not perform up to expectations in the ICC World Test Championship final against Australia here.

“We have five or six experienced batters who couldn’t go on to get big runs. That is what probably cost us,” Rohit said in the post-match press conference on Sunday.

The next WTC cycle could see some changes in the India squad. The key will be to find the right players for the roles, Rohit said.

“We’ll see what is required (for the next WTC cycle), and what brand of cricket we want to play in the next two years. Who are the guys who can do that role for us? That is the question that we need to find answers for. There are a lot of players who are doing really well in our domestic cricket. It’s about finding them. I also want to see where the next World Test Championship final is being played. Based on that, we will decide on what sort of players we want,” Rohit said.

In an ideal world, Rohit would have liked the WTC final to feature a three-match series.

“I would love that. But is there time for it? That’s the big question. In this WTC, you work hard for two years and then you have only one shot at it. You cannot get into that momentum that you need in Test cricket. In the next cycle, if it is possible, a three match series final would be ideal,” Rohit said.

The Mumbai batter would have also preferred to have more time to prepare for English conditions.

“When we were last here in England, we had a good 25-30 days to prepare ourselves. And you saw the result - we were 2-1 up until that game got called off.. In an ideal scenario, I would prefer if we have 20 to 25 days to prepare for a game like this,” Rohit said.

On the contentious Cameron Green catch which sent back Shubman Gill, Rohit said, “The third umpire should have seen more replays. The decision was made quite quickly. More camera angles should have been shown. We’ve got ten different camera angles in the IPL. I don’t know why in a world event like this, there was no ultra motion or any kind of zoomed image.”