Rohit Sharma admits India's batting performance was subpar in Adelaide
What's the story
Indian cricket team captain, Rohit Sharma, has acknowledged the team's dismal batting display in the recently concluded Adelaide Test against Australia. Notably, the home side claimed a 10-wicket win in the pink-ball Test after losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener. Despite the tough conditions, Rohit stressed on the need for first-innings runs and asked his players to step up.
Match analysis
Rohit reflects on India's 10-wicket defeat
After India's 10-wicket defeat on Day 3, Rohit said, "When you come to Australia, I feel the best chance of winning a Test match is by putting runs on the board." He confessed they were 30-40 runs short in the first innings and let opportunities slip when Australia batted. Although conditions improved in the second innings, he admitted their batters' performance was still not up to the mark.
Performance highlight
Rohit highlights Jaiswal and Rahul's partnership as example
Praising the 200-run partnership between Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul in Perth, Rohit said, "That's what [Yashasvi] Jaiswal and KL [Rahul] did to get that 200 partnership [in Perth]." He added that this wasn't done by reckless batting but by patience and strategy. This was especially evident with Rahul batting close to 200 balls for his 70 runs, while Jaiswal batted nearly 300 balls for his 150 runs.
Batting
India's batting line-up crumbles
Australia's aggressive approach was too much for India's batting line-up, which crumbled on Sunday afternoon. The Indian side was bundled out for 175, adding 47 runs to their overnight tally. They earlier perished on 180 (first innings). Notably, no Indian batter crossed the 50-run mark in the match. Australian skipper Pat Cummins played a major role in this with a five-wicket haul. Australia then chased down their 19-run target in a jiffy, scoring it in just 3.2 overs.
Rohit
Rohit in downward spiral
Rohit also looked out of sorts with the bat. After scoring three runs in the first innings, he was dismissed for just six runs off 15 balls on Day 2 in the third innings. The Indian skipper's return to batting at number six after nearly six years didn't work out well. As per ESPNcricinfo, Rohit averages just 11.83 in his last six Tests.
Selection defense
Rohit defends Rana's selection despite challenging performance
Rohit also defended the selection of Harshit Rana for the Adelaide game, despite him struggling. He conceded 86 in 16 overs in the first innings. When asked if Akash Deep should have been picked instead, Rohit said, "Rana didn't do anything wrong in the first Test." He added players shouldn't be dropped if they haven't made any mistakes and decisions shouldn't be based on just one match's performance.