'340 Was Never Going To Be...' - Rohit Sharma Reflects On India's Humiliating  Loss

Rohit Sharma during the post-match presentation (Source:@Vipintiwari952,x.com)

Australia defeated India by 184 runs on the final day of the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), taking a commanding 2-1 lead in the ongoing BGT. Chasing a challenging target for victory, India suffered a dramatic collapse, eventually being bowled out for just 155 runs in their second innings. 

Despite a valiant knock from Yashasvi Jaiswal, India fell short, as Australia sealed a crucial win. The Indian chase faltered early on, with Australia’s bowlers exploiting the conditions to the fullest. Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli all departed cheaply. 

However, the partnership between Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant, sparked hope for a miraculous recovery. But once Pant fell, the Indian tailenders crumbled quickly. 

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Rohit Sharma Opines On India's Defeat

In the post-match presentation, Indian captain Rohit Sharma gave an honest review of his team’s performance, and acknowledge both the disappointment of the loss and the moments where they missed opportunities.

He also chose not to blame individual performances, instead opting for a collective responsibility approach.

"Yeah it is pretty disappointing you know. We wanted to fight till the end but it did not work out for us. Well it will be tough to assess in the last two sessions. If you look at the Test match overall, we had our chances but we failed to capitalize on them to be honest. But again, Australia played some brilliant cricket. Things can get difficult in different phases but that's when you need to step up. Well as a captain, I do not want to blame one individual, as a team we failed to get over the line.

Rohit also provided an insight into India’s mindset while chasing the target of 340. He also added that chasing such a daunting target was not an easy job but the team wanted to remain positive. 

We did throw everything we had but you know, they fought really hard in the last wicket partnership. We did not take our chances and it costed us a lot to be honest. 340 was never going to be an easy target to chase but we wanted to play positive and win the game to be honest. They bowled really well.

The victory puts Australia in a commanding position, as they now lead the series 2-1. The fifth Test in Sydney, India needs to win to stay alive in the series, while Australia will look to seal the BGT. 

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