NEW DELHI: Skipper Rohit Sharma is confident that India will bounce back in Brisbane and dismissed concerns that their heavy defeat in the second Test would leave a mental “scar.” Australia secured a commanding 10-wicket victory in the day-night Test in Adelaide to level the series 1-1. With less than a week before the teams face off at the Gabba, India are racing to address their shortcomings.
Rohit attributed the loss to below-par batting but downplayed the impact of the defeat.
“Firstly, it’s not a (mental) scar, it’s just we’ve lost a Test match,” he said.
“We didn’t play well enough. So it’s important in this short time that we have before the next Test match just to figure out certain things.
“You know, if you want to bat how we want to bat, and if you want to bowl, what lines and what lengths and what kind of fields placement we need to have.
“Those are the things more than anything else. Like I said, it’s still one-all and plenty of things left in this series and definitely a way for us to get back into it.”
India managed just 180 in their first innings after winning the toss and batting, followed by 175 in the second innings, setting Australia a target of only 19 runs, which they chased down comfortably within the first session of day three.
“When you come to Australia I feel the best chance of winning a Test match is by putting runs on the board. And of course, when we won the toss, we elected to bat,” said Rohit.
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“We knew that there would be challenges. But in the past, where the conditions have been a little challenging, we’ve batted really well to put runs on the board and then try and put pressure on the opposition.
“That is the disappointing part, that we didn’t bat well enough, you know, probably were 30-40 runs short with the bat in the first innings.”
India also struggled to capitalize on the new pink ball when Australia batted during a crucial twilight period on day one. Jasprit Bumrah impressed, but the rest of the bowling attack failed to deliver.
“There were opportunities when Australia were batting and we failed to take those chances,” said Rohit.
“And obviously, when you miss those chances, it is never easy, the opposition will always make you pay for it, and that’s what happened.”
