India Captain Rohit Sharma Hits Back at Critics, Cites "Excessive Analysis" After 12-Year Streak Ends

Following India’s surprising 2-0 home Test series defeat to New Zealand, captain Rohit Sharma addressed the media, reflecting on the team’s shortcomings and dismissing what he termed "too much post-mortem" from critics. The loss marked the end of India's 18-series home-winning streak, an impressive run that began in 2013 with a whitewash against Australia.

New Zealand clinched the series with a 113-run victory in the second Test at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, powered by spinner Mitchell Santner’s exceptional performance. Santner, who took 6-104 in the second innings, accumulated match figures of 13-157, setting a new benchmark as the third-best Test figures by a New Zealand bowler.

Reflecting on the game, Rohit Sharma acknowledged the team's batting struggles. "We didn’t bat well in the first innings. The pitch wasn’t bad enough; we just didn’t get close to their score. We failed to respond to the pressure," Sharma said. Despite a solid start with a partnership between Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, India’s batting lineup fell apart under New Zealand’s disciplined attack.

Historic Loss Breaks India’s 18-Series Winning Streak

The defeat marks India's first home Test series loss since 2012 when Alastair Cook led England to a 2-1 victory. India’s first Test in the series saw them bowled out for a mere 46 runs in the first innings, while New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra scored a crucial century, supported by Tim Southee’s aggressive lower-order batting. Although Sarfaraz Khan scored a maiden hundred and Rishabh Pant added a counter-attacking 99, India’s lower-order collapse led to a modest target of 107 runs, which New Zealand chased comfortably.

“In the last two Tests, things didn’t go our way. We’ve played on challenging pitches here and won, but sometimes you fail to execute well. When you win a lot, a series where things go wrong is bound to happen," Rohit explained, emphasizing the importance of team confidence and resilience.

World Test Championship Standings Unaffected

Despite the setback, India remains at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) standings with a percentage score of 62.82. New Zealand, meanwhile, rose to fourth place following this historic win. This loss marks India’s fourth defeat in the current WTC cycle, while Pakistan moved up to seventh place after defeating England in Rawalpindi.

Rohit Sharma urged caution in overemphasizing the WTC standings, emphasizing the need to focus on immediate improvements. "It's too early to think about the WTC. Losing hurts, but we need to keep the focus on fixing what went wrong collectively as a team," he said.

Analyzing India’s Strategy

The captain also touched on India’s strategies against spin and pressure tactics. "We tried sweeps and paddles, but New Zealand executed those shots better. On pitches like this, you need to find ways to score differently, and our batters need to make those calls based on what’s in front of them," he explained, pointing to the disciplined approach New Zealand batsmen took under pressure.

As India looks ahead, Sharma acknowledged the importance of trusting each player’s instincts while calling for unity and patience. The captain’s final message: "We’ve achieved a lot, and while we fell short here, this is part of the journey. We’ll learn and come back stronger."