India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, called the 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand at home on Sunday "a very low point" in his career, taking full responsibility for the defeat in the Test series.
India endured their first-ever 0-3 defeat at home, capped by a 25-run loss in the third Test as they were bowled out for 121 while chasing 147. The hosts had also suffered heavy losses in the first two Tests.
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"Such an outcome is definitely a low point in my career, and I fully accept responsibility," Rohit stated at the post-match press conference.
He acknowledged that losing a home Test series in this manner is “not easily digestible.”
"Yes, absolutely, it’s a bitter pill to swallow. Losing any Test match is hard to accept… it doesn’t settle easily," Rohit said during the post-match ceremony. "We didn’t play our best cricket, while New Zealand consistently played better throughout. We made several errors."
'As a team, we failed to deliver'
Reflecting on the series, he noted that in the first two Tests, India failed to put up enough first-innings runs. "In this game, we got a 28-run lead, and the target was achievable."
"As a team, we failed to deliver when it counted. When chasing a manageable target, you want to see runs on the board. That was on my mind, but it didn’t work out as planned, and it doesn’t look good when it doesn’t come off," he added.
Rohit not satisfied with his own performance
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Rohit also expressed disappointment with his own performance. "I approached with certain plans, but they didn’t work out in this series. We couldn’t play our best cricket under these conditions, and we’re facing the consequences."
"I wasn’t at my best as captain or with the bat. As a unit, we collectively failed to perform," the India skipper concluded.