Rohit Sharma focuses on staying composed before Australian tour

India's commanding victory in the rain-affected Kanpur Test against Bangladesh was viewed as a strong message from Rohit Sharma's team. However, their confidence took a hit with a comprehensive defeat delivered by a clinical New Zealand side on Saturday. Despite not losing a home series for 12 years, India's impressive streak came to an end with convincing Test defeats in contrasting conditions - an eight-wicket loss in the pace-friendly Bengaluru and a 113-run defeat on a spin-friendly pitch.

Having set out to blank the Kiwis just like they did it to Bangladesh and so many of their opponents in these 12 years, Rohit Sharma’s men were hoping to seal the World Test Championship final berth. Outsmarted, out-batted and out-bowled by the Kiwis, they must now win the final Test in Mumbai and guard against any slip-up in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia. Or else, it could cost them the ticket to Lord’s for the WTC final.

Except Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, no member of India’s squad, including Rohit, have experienced the bitter aftertaste of a home series loss. They have to digest, learn and improve, all in five days before the Mumbai Test, and for the all-important Test tour of Australia starting November 22. For Sarfaraz Khan and the other greenhorns – Nitish Reddy, Harshit Rana, Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep and others – picked for their first Australia tour, it may be difficult to escape the undercurrents of a dominant team sulking from an unexpected reversal.

“You need to have a quiet chat with certain individuals and let them know where they are at and what as a team we require from them. Other than that, I don’t think you need to make them sit in a team room on a one-on-one basis. I don’t think this is the right forum to do that,” Rohit told reporters.

“When we (seniors) were in their place of having played only five or six Tests, all we wanted was the support from the team, captain, coach and the management. And that is what I’m going to try and do with a lot of guys who haven’t been to Australia or playing their first or second Test. So, clear messages, keeping them nice and calm, making them feel that they belong here.”

Part of Rohit’s problem is his own form, which has taken a beating while performing the wide-ranging captaincy role. The run of scores for Rohit, 37, this home season reads 0, 8, 2, 52, 23, 8, 6 and 5. Being unable to complement the in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal has placed pressure on the middle-order, which is also under the pump with Kohli not among scores. Both the big guns would want to set the record straight sooner rather than later.

India’s immediate challenge is to find options to tackle spin better in Mumbai. So far, the Kiwis batters have flipped India’s home advantage by sheer hard work, preparations and execution. “It was not a pitch to get 150. We will think about what we didn’t do well in that innings and discuss where we can improve,” said Rohit. “But yeah, I don’t need to open a medical kit and start doing different things. It’s important to understand that this team has done a lot of good things well in the past.”

Surgical intervention they may not need but a return to form for their spin twins is a must. Ashwin and Jadeja have been the fulcrum of India’s successful home run. Mitchell Santner outperformed them in both the innings at Pune. It was only Washington Sundar’s impressive return to Test cricket that helped India compete.

“Of course, by their (Ashwin and Jadeja) standard they know where they stand and what they haven’t been able to do,” said Rohit. “Again, both of them have had such huge contributions to our success...a couple of series, I am not going to look into it too much. Santner kept the ball on the stumps and that is where the challenge happens. Those are the things that we will sit and discuss and see where they are.”