India captain Rohit Sharma stated on Saturday that he would not place excessive pressure on his team, despite suffering a defeat against New Zealand and losing their first home Test series in 12 years.
New Zealand secured a commanding 113-run victory in Pune, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series—marking the Black Caps' first series win on Indian soil. For India, this marked their first home series loss since Alastair Cook's England team narrowly defeated them 2-1 in December 2012.
"I am not going to react differently," Rohit told reporters. "Reflect on the games we have won in India. There are more positive outcomes than negative ones." He emphasized that he does not want to foster an environment where self-doubt and unnecessary pressure take hold. "Of course, you will lose a series here and there," he added.
Rohit also noted that there is no need to drastically change the team's approach. "It's crucial to recognize that this team has achieved remarkable feats in the past." New Zealand's Tom Latham-led squad ended India's streak of 18 consecutive bilateral home series wins after the tourists bowled out India for 245 in their pursuit of 359.
India faced significant batting challenges throughout the series, including a collapse to 46 all out in the opener and 156 in the first innings of the second match. Their spin attack was notably outperformed by New Zealand's slow bowlers, led by Mitchell Santner.
"I believe we did not perform well enough in these two matches, and that is what is causing the pain," Rohit acknowledged. "It is a collective failure from both the bowlers and the batters. Losing a Test match is not due to one specific issue; it is the entire unit collectively failing." Santner's left-arm spin was particularly effective, returning a match haul of 13 wickets to dominate the opposition on a pitch designed to assist the home spinners.
New Zealand's batters excelled in playing spin, with notable contributions from Devon Conway (76) and Rachin Ravindra (65) in the first innings. Latham highlighted the team's strategy, stating, "A few key objectives were set, and one of them was to challenge India." He added, "We aimed to play a more aggressive brand of cricket, knowing India's strength in these conditions. We wanted to apply some pressure, and I believe we have achieved that in the last couple of games."
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