Team India faced a major upset on Saturday as their 12-year dominant home run came to an end with a 113-run defeat against New Zealand. This marked the second consecutive loss for the home side, following an 8-wicket defeat in Bengaluru prior to this encounter.
Hours after the Pune loss, The Indian Express reported that Indian captain Rohit Sharma, along with veteran players Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, drove to Mumbai to be with their families. The third and final Test of the New Zealand series is scheduled to take place at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, and players have been given a two-day rest before resuming preparations for the match.
The report also notes that after the two-day break, players have been asked to attend two consecutive practice sessions to prepare for the third Test starting on November 1. The sessions will reportedly be held on October 30 and 31, and the Gautam Gambhir-led team management has made it ‘compulsory’ for all players to attend.
“The team management has asked the players to be present for two days of practice on October 30 and 31. It’s compulsory and no one can skip it,” the Indian Express quoted a source as saying
‘Keeping youngsters calm is our responsibility’ says Rohit Sharma:
In a post-match press conference after loss in Pune, Rohit said, “I am not going to overreact after this defeat. You need to chat with certain players. There’s no need to sit in a corner and discuss each innings. Clear messages, keeping them calm and that is our responsibility
“We had a great run for 12 years, we were doing great things during this period. I don’t think there’s anything that we need to talk differently and do differently. We will think about what we didn’t do well and what we can improve but I don’t need to open a medical kit and start doing differently things. We need to understand that this team has done a lot of good things in the past”
