We played some bad shots, admits Indian skipper Rohit Sharma
India were thrashed by New Zealand in the fourth ODI on Thursday in Hamilton. The visitors were bundled for a paltry score of 92 runs, before the Kiwis raced to victory in the 15th over. This was a day, where nothing clicked for Men in Blue. Notably, stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma seemed upset with the way they all performed. Here is what he said.
Rohit said that it was one of India's worst show with the bat. "One of our worst performances with the bat in a long, long time. Something we didn't expect. Something to learn for us. At times, you need to absorb pressure. We need to blame ourselves for it. Thing were looking good at that stage," Rohit said in the post-match presentation.
India's problem against swing bowling was exposed. Several Indian batsmen gifted their wickets. Players like Ambati Rayudu and Dinesh Karthik are prime examples. Rayudu (0) in particular played a rash shot when India were 33/2 at one stage. He charged at a ball that tempted him to drive. Karthik then played away from his body at a ball that should have been left alone.
"It was about applying ourselves. Once you get in, things will start to look easier. We played some bad shots as well. It's always challenging when the ball is swinging," the stand-in skipper added.
India were done in by the conditions that had swing on offer. Players like Colin de Grandhomme (3/26) and Trent Boult (5/21) fed on the same. Rohit (7) was one of the seven batsmen who were dismissed for less than 10 runs. He called for an improved show in the final ODI of the five-match series. India lead the series by a 3-1 margin.
"Having a good run in the limited formats for a number of series. Everyone knows what went wrong. There will be times when it swings and we need to deal with it," said Rohit.
