IND vs NZ 2nd Test: After India lost to New Zealand by 113 runs in the Pune Test, which was their first at home in 12 years, Indian captain Rohit Sharma pointed out that the batters failed to get near New Zealand’s first-innings total of 259 as the reason for their defeat.
Mitchell Santner’s Impact
Mitchell Santner dominated the match, taking 7 wickets for 53 runs in the first innings and 6 for 104 in the second. India collapsed to 156 all out in their first innings, giving New Zealand a significant lead of 103 runs, which set the tone for the remainder of the match. Despite a promising start from Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 77 runs off 65 balls, India ultimately fell short of the daunting target of 359.
Rohit’s After-Match Views
“We didn’t bat enough to put runs on the board,” Rohit said in the post-match presentation. “To win Test matches, you have to take 20 wickets, but at the same time, batsmen also have to score runs.”
He credited the team for limiting New Zealand to only 255 runs in the second innings but said this was a very decisive loss and being behind by 103 runs first innings. “We had gone out feeling that we could chase that total, but constant pressure from both ends was not easy to respond to”.
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Bowling Performance And Pitch Conditions
Despite the concerns over the score New Zealand built on day one, Rohit says his bowlers did well to restrict them to 259. “When they were at 197 for 3, to bowl them out for 259 was commendable. However, the pitch wasn’t particularly helpful, and we simply did not bat well enough. Had we gone closer to their first innings total, things would have been different.”
Upcoming Test
The side will be under enormous pressure in this third Test in Mumbai to avoid becoming the first visiting team to be whitewashed in a home series of three or more Tests, with Bengaluru and Pune leaving India 2-0 down in the series. Earning points in this Test and the five-match following series against Australia will also be vital for India’s World Test Championship ambitions.
Confident Ahead Of The Next Test
Rohit said that they should focus on the immediate job and bring into the limelight the aspect of concentration. “We want to perform well at Wankhede and win that Test match. We are not thinking too far ahead. We must take care of the next game and develop as a unit because this is a collective failure. We will go to Wankhede with better intent, strategies, and methods.”
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