After the defeat in the World Test Championship final against Australia, Indian captain Rohit Sharma has given a big statement regarding the format of the final. Rohit has said that from the next edition of WTC, the champion should be decided by a three-match series i.e. best of three. Rohit also said that it can be organized in any part of the world, not just in England. However, after this Australian captain Pat Cummins gave him a befitting reply. Cummins said that we have now won the WTC Championship. We have no problem with any number of series. In the Olympics, players get only one chance to win the gold medal in the final.
What did Rohit say about the final of the three matches?
Rohit said- I would prefer the best of three finals for the World Test Championship because after working hard for more than two years to reach the final, it would be right to decide in three tests. However, we need to find a window for it. It would be fitting that there are three Tests in the finals in the next WTC cycle. June is not the only month to play the WTC finals. It can be played anywhere in the world, not just in England.
The Indian skipper said his team was disappointed with the loss as winning the World Test Championship was more important than winning the bilateral series against Australia. He said- It is disappointing that we could not win the trophy. The team is disappointed. I am personally very disappointed. The Indian captain said that his team was hoping to chase down 444 in the final innings and 280 on the final day.
Rohit asked the players to play freely
Rohit said- We had told all the players to play freely and bring the opposition under pressure. We decided to play fearless cricket in the second innings and scored 60 runs in just 10 overs. We were hopeful of chasing 444 but some poor shot-playing took the match away. The skipper said that after opting to field first, India was in a good position after taking the first three wickets.
However, after that, a 285-run partnership between Steve Smith and Travis Head changed the course of the match. Rohit said- We did not bowl well after the first session. Indicating changes in India's red-ball team, Rohit said - many players are doing well in domestic cricket. We have to think about finding those players and giving them a place in the team. Now this will be our focus.
Cummins gave a befitting reply to Rohit
At the same time, when Australian captain Pat Cummins was asked for a reply on Rohit's three-match series statement, he said - I think it would be right to do that too. I do not mind. I think you can have a 50-match series too, but you only get one chance to win the Olympic gold medal. The Australian Football League (AFL) and Australian National Rugby (NRL) also have a single final. This is sports.
Cummins said- Here you get only one chance to win, but to make a place in the final, you have to win everywhere in the world. I think this WTC cycle was of 20 Test matches. Out of these, we may have lost only three or four Tests, but in 20 matches, our players performed brilliantly throughout the journey. We got used to the conditions well and that is what makes our title win so satisfying.
What happened in the match?
Talking about the match, Australia scored 469 runs in the first innings while batting first after losing the toss. At one stage the Kangaroos had lost three wickets for 76 runs. Travis Head and Steve Smith then shared a 285-run partnership to take the match away from India's grasp. Travis scored 163 runs and Smith scored 121 runs. At the same time, Alex Carey scored 48 runs. In response, India's first innings was reduced to 296 runs. At one point, Team India had lost four wickets for 71 runs and it seemed that the team would not be able to save the follow-on either. After this, Ravindra Jadeja saved India from follow-on by playing 48 runs, Ajinkya Rahane 89 runs, and Shardul Thakur innings of 51 runs. Australia got a lead of 173 runs.
Rohit-Pujara got out after playing a bad shot
In the second innings, Australia declared the innings by scoring 270 runs for eight wickets. Marnus Labushen scored 41 runs, Alex Carey scored an unbeaten 66 and Mitchell Starc scored 41 runs. Australia took a 443-run lead over India and set a target of 444 runs. In response, Rohit-Shubman Gill gave a good start to Team India. Both added 41 runs. Shubman became the victim of a controversial catch-out after scoring 18 runs. After this, Rohit and Pujara batted carefully and shared a 51-run partnership. However, the wickets of both in two consecutive overs put Team India in trouble.
Jadeja-Shardul could not even open the account
Rohit (43) and Pujara (27) were both dismissed after playing bad shots. Team India's three wickets had fallen to 93 runs. After this on the fourth day, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane did not let any wicket fall and returned to the unbeaten pavilion. On the fifth day, Kohli also returned to the pavilion after playing a bad shot. He got out after scoring 49 runs. Kohli and Rahane shared an 86-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur could not even open the account. Bharat got out after scoring 23 runs, Umesh one run, and Siraj one run. Rahane played an inning of 46 runs. In this way, India's entire innings ended on 234 runs and Team India had to face defeat by 209 runs.
(pc amarujala)
