India captain Rohit Sharma will likely be deeply impacted by India’s historic home Test series defeat against New Zealand, according to Ravi Shastri. Shastri, commenting during the Pune Test, observed that while Rohit might appear calm and collected outwardly, this loss will certainly sting. The 113-run defeat marked New Zealand’s first-ever Test series win in India, shattering a remarkable 18-series winning streak on home soil for India—a record that stands as the longest in Test history.
“Rohit Sharma might seem relaxed, but he won’t be taking this defeat lightly. Deep down, he’ll be hurting,” Ravi Shastri remarked. He added that this loss would likely push Rohit to make a bold comeback statement in the final Test at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
The New Zealand team, led by Tom Latham, played an outstanding game, besting India in both batting and bowling. Rohit acknowledged this post-match, attributing the defeat to New Zealand’s superior performance and India’s failure to capitalize on key moments.
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“It’s not what we expected. Full credit to New Zealand—they played better cricket than us. We didn’t respond well to the challenges they posed,” Rohit Sharma admitted.
India’s captain further reflected on the team’s shortcomings, particularly with the bat. He pointed out that the bowlers had managed to create breakthroughs but lacked the essential support from the batting lineup.
“To win, you need to pick 20 wickets, but you also need runs on the board. We didn’t bat well enough, and that was the difference,” Rohit Sharma explained. He emphasized the importance of regrouping and approaching the Wankhede Test with renewed intent and more effective strategies, emphasizing the need for a complete team effort.
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This series loss has also complicated India’s position in the World Test Championship standings, where they now lead by a small margin. Australia, South Africa, and Sri Lanka are close behind, and India risks falling further if they don’t secure a win in the third Test. The upcoming match in Mumbai is set to be a crucial turning point, with the team needing both an emotional and strategic reset to avoid more damage in the WTC race.
