It was the same old story for India in an ICC final, but what made this defeat significant was the way in which they were eliminated, notably in the second innings when The Oval’s conditions were possibly the most conducive to batting during the Test match. Thus, Cheteshwar Pujara uppercut one right into the keeper’s hands, Rohit Sharma ended up sweeping a too-full one, and Virat Kohli pursued a wide ball once more.
After India’s 209-run defeat to Australia at The Oval, Rohit defended the Indian batters, claiming their failure was not due to a “lack of concentration,” but rather to a desire to “play in a different way” that didn’t exactly pan out in this particular occasion.
“We have participated in several ICC competitions but have yet to win.” As a result, Rohit noted, “Our goal is to play differently and attempt to do something different.”
“There was no lapse in concentration.” We’ve notified the boys that they are free to play. And in such case, strike. It has a straightforward message. We don’t want to play under pressure in any format of cricket, including Tests, T20s, and one-dayers. Looking at the innings, you can see that when the game was in the second inning, Gill and I put all of our effort into hitting, playing, and giving pressure on them. As a result, we scored 60 runs in just 10 overs. However, if you play with that mindset, you will most likely succeed. Then there are the comments and mentions of attention span infractions. There is no lapse in concentration. Simply said, we’d rather play a different game. We’d want to try something fresh.
“These days, test cricket is played in a new way. That is how we intend to play as well. And it was an excellent pitch. “You could play whatever shots you wanted,” Rohit explained. “Of course, you know, if someone is bowling a really good spell, you try to respect that.” Otherwise, you must attempt something different to disrupt the bowler’s rhythm.
“And Travis Head did exactly that. He came in and shot several shots. And he really got them out of their funk… We actually thought we were pretty in the game, and then Travis Head came in and basically snatched the game away from us. That is exactly what we intend to do. When you know the pitch is good, you have to let your instinct take those middle decisions.
“And no, I don’t think it was a lapse in concentration or anything like that.” It’s just that sometimes guys feel more comfortable playing particular shots, and they’re free to do so.
“When the World Cup takes place in October, we will try to play differently.” We will aim to give people flexibility while not feeling obligated to win this or that match. We’ve been thinking that this game is important, that this event is important, and that nothing is occurring. As a result, we will have to think and act differently. Our message and emphasis will be on doing something unusual.”
Following the game, India coach Rahul Dravid said Star Sports that the pitch “wasn’t a 469 wicket” and that his team paid the price for a bad performance in the first two hours of Day 1. Rohit, on the other hand, argued that the team’s senior hitters, who had previously competed at the greatest level in England, fell short and cost them the victory.
“When you have five or six batters in your top six who have played in these conditions before and couldn’t go on to get big runs, that is what probably cost us the game,” Rohit added. “But, look, I don’t want to be too critical about it.” That’s because when we were here last time, several of the older batters threw their hands up and helped us win the series. This sort of thing can happen. We’ve had some fantastic adventures in the last two years. Whether we played in Australia or England, like you mentioned, if you’re not mentally prepared, you may lose a game. That’s exactly what occurred, you know.”
India was defeated in the World Test Championship final for the second time in a row. Both were held directly following the IPL, which, to be honest, did not give India enough time to prepare.
Would a three-test WTC final be a better choice? “That would be fantastic.” But is there a time limit?” Rohit inquired. “That is the crucial question. However, in a large tournament like this, both teams must have equal possibilities. A three-match series would be ideal, but it’s all about finding that sweet spot where it can fit. In a competition like this, you work hard for two years and then you only get one shot. As a result, you cannot build the momentum required for Test cricket. You know, finding that rhythm and momentum in Test cricket is crucial. So, I believe that if a three-match series is conceivable in the next cycle, it would be excellent.”
