India captain Rohit Sharma admitted that Australia’s Travis Head and Steve Smith dismantled his team’s plans in the ICC World Test Championship final at the Kennington Oval in London. Following a comprehensive 209-run defeat on a pitch favoring batsmen, Rohit conceded that his bowlers failed to execute their plans effectively after choosing to bowl first.

Australia amassed a formidable 469 runs, driven by impressive centuries from Head (163) and Smith (126), making them the first pair to achieve this feat in a WTC final.

“I thought we started well by winning the toss and opting to bowl in those conditions. We bowled well in the first session, but then we let ourselves down with our bowling,” Rohit Sharma said after the defeat. He praised the Australian batsmen for their exceptional performances, particularly Head and Smith, whose batting display caught India off guard. Despite the setback, Rohit acknowledged that it was challenging to make a comeback but commended his team for their resilience.

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Rohit also acknowledged the commendable fightback led by Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur, who demonstrated great determination against Australia’s hostile spells and managed to reduce the first-innings lead to 173 runs.

The Indian skipper, added, “We discussed bowling tighter lines, but it didn’t work out. These things happen in cricket. However, I thought Rahane and Shardul showed great fight after we were five down for 150. They stood up and built a crucial partnership that kept us in the game. We bowled well in the second innings. Unfortunately, we didn’t apply ourselves with the bat. The pitch was good for batting throughout the match, but we couldn’t capitalize on it.”

Despite the disappointment of finishing as runners-up in two WTC cycles, Rohit praised the team’s efforts over the past four years.

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“We have worked hard for four years to reach two finals. It’s disappointing for us not to win, but we cannot undermine what we have achieved in these two years. It’s a tremendous effort, with many players contributing throughout the series. We will hold our heads high and continue fighting for the next championship,” Rohit Sharma concluded.