Rohit has his priorities set: final New Zealand Test first, WTC25 later
New Zealand took an unassailable 2-0 series lead against India with a 113-run victory in the second Test.
Following the loss, the gap between India, who remain at the top of the World Test Championship standings, and Australia has narrowed significantly, now just a matter of decimals.
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With the final Test against New Zealand scheduled in Mumbai from November 1-5, India will soon shift their focus to the five-match series against Australia. This upcoming clash could potentially determine the top two positions in the WTC25 table.
However, captain Rohit Sharma is concentrating solely on the next match against the Black Caps, avoiding any distractions related to the potential World Test Championship final.
“I am hurting because we lost the game,” Rohit said in the post-match press conference. “It was not a pitch to score 250, and we just want to come out with better intent and mindset in the last Test.
“As for the WTC Final chances, we are not thinking about that at the moment.”
The 113-run defeat marked India's first Test series loss at home in over a decade, breaking a streak of 18 consecutive series victories, with their last defeat occurring against England in 2012.
For New Zealand, Mitchell Santner was the destroyer-in-chief, claiming a five-wicket haul in each innings and finishing with impressive match figures of 13 for 157, earning him the Player of the Match award.
In pursuit of 359 runs for victory in the fourth innings, India was dismissed for 245, with Yashasvi Jaiswal standing out as the sole source of resistance, scoring a brisk 77 off just 65 balls.
Although this was an improvement from their first innings, where they were bowled out for just 156, it ultimately fell short of securing a win.
Rohit, however, preferred not to delve too deeply into the result.
“It has happened in the last two Test matches, we’ve won 18 consecutive series at home which means we’ve done a lot of things right,” Rohit said in the post-match press conference.
“We’ve performed well exceptionally over the past number of years. Hence, I won’t go too much deep into it and that we’ve messed up a lot. I think 2-3 innings we’ve underperformed with the bat but it happens when you’re performing consistently for so long, you come under a loss.”
Instead, the skipper acknowledged the contributions of his players while recognizing the challenges they encountered. He also commended New Zealand for their approach in navigating the tough conditions.
“I don’t want to doubt anyone’s potential,” Rohit added. “These guys have helped us remain unbeaten at home for so long and hence I don’t want to do any postmortem. But we can see what we can do to come out of such situations and batters should come out with trust in their plan.
“New Zealand batters also showed that if you put bowlers under pressure things will happen in your favour.”