Rohit Sharma after India series defeat against New Zealand: This will be a very low point of my career

India faced a defeat of this magnitude in its own den for the first time ever after suffering a 25-run defeat in the third Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium.

India captain Rohit Sharma after losing his wicket during day three of the third Test between India and New Zealand. | Photo Credit: PTI

India captain Rohit Sharma has accepted full responsibility for India’s first three-match series whitewash at home and his sorry show with the bat and has hoped that the squad, especially the batting unit, will be able to bounce back stronger in Australia in three weeks.

“It is quite tough, and it tells you nothing is easy in life. One day you are on high, one day you are not. That is something that I have learned at a very young age about life. But that is something that, personally, I also drive myself with by not getting carried away with certain things in life,” Rohit said after India lost the third Test against New Zealand by 25 runs.

“It is important for me to understand that life is not about just highs, there can be lows, which I have seen a lot through my career. Something like this will be a very low point in my career, having lost three games at home. I fully take responsibility for that as a captain and as a leader as well. I have not been at the best of my abilities right from the start of the series. With the bat as well, I have not been good enough.

“I accept the fact that we were not good enough with the bat in the entire series. I thought 147 should have been chaseable. But we were just not good enough with the bat. We didn’t apply ourselves. There were a lot of mistakes that were made,” Rohit said, adding that his shot selection wasn’t up to the mark.

“I accept that I haven’t batted well in this series. But it’s been only these two series where I have not had enough time in the middle. As you grow, you try and evolve, and I am trying to evolve as a batter as well to try and see what else I can do. So, in that, there is a chance that you can fall on the other side of it, which clearly I have. I will relook at my game and see what best I can do.”

While Rohit tallied only 133 runs in the 10 innings in the home Test season, Virat Kohli – the other batting mainstay – scored 192 runs in as many outings. Rohit admitted that the duo’s batting form was a cause of concern heading into the five-Test series in Australia.

“It’s a cause of concern, without a doubt. If the batters are not performing, that is a cause of concern. But what’s done is done now. As a player, as a captain, as the team, we all have to look forward and see how we can correct what we didn’t manage to achieve here,” Rohit said.

“There is a good opportunity for us to go and do something really special in Australia, so we will focus on that.”