‘Very Low Point Of My Career’: Rohit Sharma After Series Loss Against NZ

India faced a defeat of this magnitude in their own den for the first time ever after suffering a 25-run defeat in the third Test against New Zealand here. Set a target of 147, India were all out for 121. The hosts also suffered embarrassing defeats in the first two Tests of the series.

“Something like this will be a very low point of my career and I take full responsibility for it,” Rohit said at the post-match press conference. He added that losing a Test series like this at home is not “easily digestible”.

“Yes absolutely (bitter pill to swallow). Losing a series, a Test match, is never easy… something that is not easily digestible. We didn’t play our best cricket. New Zealand played better throughout the series. There were a lot of mistakes we did,” Rohit said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

“The first two Tests we did not put enough runs in the first innings. This game we got the 30 runs (28) lead and the target was chaseable.

“We failed as a unit. When you are chasing a target like that, you want runs on the board. That was in my mind and it did not come of. When it does not come off it does not look great,” he added.

Rohit also admitted that he was disappointed with his own performance in the series.

“I go in with certain plans and those did not come off this series. We did not play our best cricket in these conditions and are facing the result of that.”

“I was not at my best as captain in leading the team as well as with the bat also. Collectively as a unit we failed to perform,” the India skipper said.

Elaborating on his batting, the skipper who could endured a poor run in the series, said he will review his game.

“My defence… I have not defended a lot because I have not been there much. I need to look at it. I try to put my team in best situations, sometimes you fall on the other side.

“I don’t see that I have lost my faith on my defence. I accept I haven’t batted well in this series, but it has been only two series I have not batted well.

“As you grow you try and evolve and I am trying to see what else I can do. There is a chance you can fall on the other side of it and I have, but I will relook.”

The humiliation was inflicted by a side that landed here after being thrashed 0-2 by a Sri Lankan team that is in transition. The Black Caps were also without their biggest batting star — Kane Williamson — thanks to injury. Coming up next is a tough tour of Australia, a place where the visitors won on their last two tours, but it is going to be a different ball game altogether this around.

“That will be very challenging,” he said when asked how difficult it is going to be for the young batters in Australian conditions.

“We talk about it a lot, getting mindset right is going to be challenging. Australia will be a different ball game for all those who have not been there. We need to create an environment where they feel safe and not intimidated by where they are playing against whom.”

He also backed the new support staff headed by coach Gautam Gambhir and which also includes Dutchman Ryan ten Doeschate and former player Abhishek Nayar.

“Coaching staff has been good, they have just come in. They are still understanding how the players and the team operate. It’s the players’ responsibility to make their lives easier, never easy to start doing what they are doing since they are different.”