Rohit Sharma faced significant backlash from fans after his comments following India’s 184-run loss to Australia in the Melbourne Test. The defeat saw India fall 1-2 behind in the five-match series. Chasing a daunting 340 runs in the fourth innings on Day 5, India were bowled out for just 234 in 83.4 overs, falling short by a considerable margin.
During the post-match press conference, the Indian captain, 37, attributed the loss to the failure of the youngsters in the team, particularly highlighting their inability to convert solid starts into big scores.
“We got plenty of chances to win or even draw the game. But there are many guys who scored runs, but could have played a big innings. The guys are new and they will learn as they keep playing,” Rohit said.
Many believed that the team’s collective performance, including the senior players, had contributed to the loss, and that the captain’s remarks seemed dismissive of the overall team effort. His comments raised questions about leadership and accountability, especially after such a disappointing defeat on a crucial tour.
How India can reach WTC Final?
India may have lost the crucial Boxing Day contest by 184 runs but all is not lost as far as their chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final are concerned. To qualify for the final, India must win the last Test of the series against Australia at Sydney, and then hope for a positive result for Sri Lanka (or a 0-0 draw) when Australia tour the island national early next year.
Post the loss, India’s point percentage (PCT) has dropped to 52.78 from 55.89. Australia, on the other hand boosted their PCT as they now have 61.46. South Africa have already qualified for the WTC final after beating Pakistan in the first Test by two wickets on Sunday.
If India manage to win in Sydney, they will have 55.26 PCT and Australia will have 54.26. A win out of two Tests against Sri Lanka then would be enough for Australia to go past India’s PCT and join the Proteas in the final.
