The second Test between India and New Zealand in Pune was historic, albeit for unintended reasons. It was their first loss in a home Test series in 12 years as their last defeat in a home match came in 2012 when England emerged victorious under MS Dhoni.

Since then, India recorded 18 consecutive series wins, defeating all opponents that came their way and remaining unbeaten at home for 4,331 days. However, the streak finally ended when New Zealand edged out India in the first two games in Bengaluru and Pune to clinch the series with one match left.

When asked about the stability of batting in the press conference, Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain, said that they are allowed to fail once in 12 years. He defended his batsmen saying they have been very good over a long period.

“These 2 games have happened in which we have collapsed. We have won so many matches in India, what do you think about that? Batters who have scored runs hitting on bad pitches have won. This is the first time they have collapsed, we cannot bat easily. This is allowed once every 12 years, my friend. Itna collapse agar 12 saal se ho raha tha to hum shayad jeet hi nahi paate (These are two games where we collapsed as a batting unit. We have won so many matches in India, have you thought about that? Batsmen have made runs Poor pitching and games won. We wouldn’t have won as much if we had collapsed regularly in these 12 years.

Fans outrage on social media over Rohit Sharma’s comments

Ever since Rohit Sharma made this strange statement, fans have expressed their disappointment on social media as they felt that the Indian captain is taking this series defeat lightly. While one section asked Rohit about his contributions during those glory days, others churned out statistics and recalled what made India successful under Virat Kohli.

Rohit’s statements have been taken negatively, although his statement is perceived wrongly. Maybe he meant that bad games are bound to happen from time to time, but Rohit could have chosen the right words to make the same point.

Also read: Much is said in the field, little about incompetence and misrepresentation of India

Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) is awash with discussions surrounding his statement, with most questioning Rohit’s credentials as captain. The speech quickly moved from the series defeat to Rohit’s choice of words.

This is the most India have faced the heat in a home Test series in the last decade. There is still one game left and the team will look to bounce back strongly and save pride.

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