GG News Bureau
Melbourne, 30th Dec. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma expressed disappointment over his team’s poor performance in the fourth Test against Australia, admitting that the 184-run defeat was “mentally disturbing”. Despite being in a favorable position on the field, India failed to capitalize on Australia’s precarious position at 90/6 in their second innings, ultimately conceding a target of 340 runs.
Speaking after the match, Rohit said, “It is mentally disturbing when you can’t do what you have come to do. 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.”
Rohit further reflected on the missed opportunities in the match. “We had Australia at 90 for 6. We know things can get tough, but we wanted 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,” he explained, acknowledging the impact of Australia’s resilient last-wicket partnership.
The Indian team, chasing a daunting target of 340, struggled to build partnerships and failed to set a solid platform for the final two sessions. Rohit said, “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.”
While disappointed with the team’s performance, the 37-year-old captain praised some individual efforts. He lauded debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy for his impressive century in the first innings and expressed confidence in his future, saying, “He’s got everything to be successful at this level, and I hope he goes from strength to strength.”
Rohit also gave credit to pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who led the Indian bowling attack almost singlehandedly. “Absolutely brilliant. We’ve been watching him for so many years now, coming here and getting the job done,” he said, acknowledging Bumrah’s contributions despite limited support from the rest of the attack.
As India now heads to Sydney for the fifth and final Test starting on January 3, 2025, trailing 1-2 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Rohit and his team will be looking to bounce back and level the series.
On the other side, Australian skipper Pat Cummins defended his decision not to declare their second innings early, stating that it was important to eliminate any chances of an Indian victory. “We wanted to take an India victory out of the equation. We had plenty of runs to play with, and as many helmets around the bat as we could,” said Cummins.
Reflecting on the match, Cummins also described it as one of the best he has been part of in his career, especially with record crowds filling the MCG on all five days. “What an amazing Test match, I reckon one of the best I’ve been part of. All week the crowd has been ridiculous, and it’s been amazing to be part of,” he added.
The stage is now set for a thrilling finale as India looks to regroup and challenge Australia in Sydney.
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