Senior paceman Mohammed Shami has come in support of Rohit Sharma after the Indian skipper faced backlash for the poor decision to bat first in the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand despite the overcast conditions. Rohit failed to read the conditions and pitch, and India faltered miserably. They were dismissed for a mere 46 in the first innings, which is their lowest-ever score in red-ball cricket at home. New Zealand took control of the game and went on to win their first-ever Test on Indian soil since 1988.
The Indian batters managed to put up a fightback in the second innings with 462 on the scoreboard, but it wasn’t enough. New Zealand made 110-2 on a rain-affected final day on Sunday to beat India by eight wickets and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Shami, who is still recovering from his injury, backed his skipper and said it is possible for anyone to make mistakes and hailed Rohit for taking responsibility for it.
“It is a big thing. If you accept that you made a mistake. But I don’t think it is his mistake. He is a human being. Anybody can make a mistake. He took responsibility for it, and it is a big thing. There is a saying that there is one bad match in a year, and I think it was this match,” Shami told ANI on the sidelines of Eugenix hair sciences event.
Despite an under-par show in first Test, Shami doesn’t feel that India would not allow the series to slip away so easily.
“Hopefully, India will make a comeback. Playing at home has its advantages. I think we should win the series. India should execute the plans and the skills perfectly,” he added.
Rohit Sharma admitted his mistake on Day 2
Indian skipper Rohit also admitted his mistake after Day 2’s play and said that he failed to read the pitch correctly.
“You see, and you try and make the judgement. Sometimes you make the right call, sometimes you don’t, and I was on the other side of it this time around. I’m hurting a little bit because I made that call. But see, for us as a team, I think these are the challenges,” Rohit said in a post-day press conference.
India and New Zealand will square off in the second Test, beginning on Thursday at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.
