Image Credit- PTI
India lost by 28 runs in Hyderabad, and Rohit Sharma
believes that they “overall failed as a team” and that they were not
“brave enough” in their second innings. It was looking more than a
little unlikely that England would win after India jumped out to a commanding
190-run lead in the first innings. But in their second dig, Ollie Pope struck
an incredible 196 off 278 balls to lift England to 420 and give them a lead of
230 runs, which was sufficient.
“When you are put against a wall, you need to
show character and you need to be brave enough, which I thought we
weren’t,” Rohit said on the official broadcast after India went 1-0 down
in the five-Test series. “We wanted to take some chances… we didn’t take
chances with the bat. But that can happen.”
While he thought that Pope’s performance was
“probably the best” that an overseas batsman had ever seen in Indian
circumstances, Rohit felt that the goal was still reachable on a surface that
wasn’t overly aggressive.
“You got to take your hat off and say ‘well
played’ to Ollie Pope. That was some serious knock,” Rohit said.
“Having gotten the lead of 190, we thought we were very much in the game,
but then… exceptional batting, probably the best that I have seen in Indian
conditions by an overseas batter.
“Ollie Pope played a brilliant knock. I
definitely thought 230 was gettable, there wasn’t too much in the pitch, but we
didn’t bat well enough to get to the score.”
India has only lost a Test match after building a lead
of more than 100 runs in the first innings three times in total, and this is
the first time it has happened at home. Was the defeat in Hyderabad then due to
India’s bowling?
“I went and checked where we bowled [after the
third day], and I thought we bowled in the right areas,” Rohit said.
“When you finish the day, you analyse: what went well, what didn’t go
well, and things like that. We went back and saw things; we spoke about [them]
and I thought the bowlers executed the plan really well.
The lower-order batsmen for India, who stayed back to
give them hope late in the fourth day, also received plaudits from Rohit. India
was in the 41st over at 119 for 7, and their innings was about to conclude
quickly. However, for the ninth wicket, KS Bharat and R Ashwin put up a 57-run
partnership off 130 balls. Even after hanging around for 37 balls and scoring
25 runs, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, batting at number 11, were unable
to carry the game into the final day.
“I wanted them to take the game to the fifth day;
20-30 runs anything is possible,” Rohit said. “The lower order fought
really well, and showed the top order that you need to fight it out. It is the
first game of the series. I hope the guys can learn from that.”