‘Mentally disturbing’, says Rohit after loss to Australia in 4th Test

There are ways to win games and we fell short in finding ways to win the game here, says the Team India captain

Melbourne: Indian skipper Rohit Sharma on Monday said the 184-run drubbing at the hands of Australia in the fourth Test here is “mentally disturbing”, conceding that his team failed to fight in the match.

India will now head to Sydney for the fifth and final Test trailing 1-2 in the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The series finale begins on January 3. “It is mentally disturbing when you can’t do what you have come to do,” Rohit, whose own poor form has been under the scanner, told reporters after the game.

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“It is pretty disappointing. There are ways to win games and we fell short in finding ways to win the game here. We wanted to fight till the end and unfortunately we couldn’t do it,” he said in the post-match presentation ceremony.

Australia were struggling at 90 for six in their second innings with the overall lead yet to touch 200 on Sunday but managed to make it a 340-run target for the visitors. Rohit admitted his team could not exploit the favourable situation.

“We had Australia 90 for 6. We know things can get tough, but we want to play tough cricket from hard situations. But we were not good enough. I went back to my room and thought about what else we could have done as a team,” Rohit said.

“But we threw everything we had, they fought hard, especially that last-wicket partnership, which probably cost us the game there,” he added. Rohit said the team wanted to have a go at the target despite its daunting nature.

“We knew 340 wasn’t going to be easy. We tried to set a platform and keep wickets in hand for the last two sessions, but they bowled perfectly as well. We wanted to go for the target, but we didn’t set the platform from our side,” he noted. The Mumbaikar lauded Nitish Kumar Reddy for making a fine hundred during the first innings, and hoped the youngster will climb the ladder.

“He’s coming here for the first time, these conditions can get really tough, but he showed great character, solid technique as well. “He’s got everything to be successful at this level, I hope he goes from strength to strength, and he’s got all the backing from the team as well,” he said.

The 37-year-old also patted pacer Jasprit Bumrah for leading the Indian bowling attack almost singlehandedly.