4th Test: 'Aiming to battle till the last moment, we had opportunities but...', states Rohit

Melbourne, Dec 30 (NationPress) After enduring a 184-run loss to Australia during the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Indian captain Rohit Sharma acknowledged that his team intended to put up a strong fight until the conclusion, but regrettably, they could not achieve that.

On the fifth day of play, India was positioned at 112/3 at tea, but the dismissal of Rishabh Pant drastically shifted the situation as the visitors lost their last seven wickets for just 34 runs, allowing Australia to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

"It's quite disappointing. It's not that we entered the match with the intention of surrendering. We aimed to battle until the end, but regrettably, we fell short. Assessing just the final two sessions will be challenging," Rohit stated during the post-match presentation.

"If you analyze the entire Test match, we had our chances, yet we failed to capitalize. We had Australia at 90 for 6. We understand that situations can become challenging, but we aspire to play resilient cricket when faced with difficulties. I prefer not to focus on a single moment. We simply were not good enough," he added.

Rohit also mentioned that India had considered chasing down 340 runs on a day five pitch, but the lack of a solid foundation played a significant role in their downfall. They found themselves at 33/3 during the morning session, with Rohit himself being dismissed for nine runs.

"I returned to my room to ponder what else we could have executed as a team, but we put forth our utmost effort, yet they fought hard, especially that last-wicket partnership, which likely cost us the match," Rohit remarked.

"We were aware that chasing 340 wouldn't be a walk in the park. Our objective was to establish a platform and preserve wickets for the final two sessions, yet they bowled exceptionally well. We wanted to pursue the target, but we didn’t create the necessary platform from our side. There are various methods to secure victories, and we fell short in identifying those pathways," he concluded.

Despite the setback, India took note of the positives in young Nitish Kumar Reddy, who scored 114 runs in the first innings. "He is here for the first time; these conditions can be incredibly challenging, but he exhibited great character and solid technique. He possesses everything needed to succeed at this level; I hope he continues to progress, and he has the full support of the team," Rohit stated.

Fast-bowling ace Jasprit Bumrah delivered impressive match figures of 9-156, including a five-wicket haul in the third innings, bringing his total wickets in this series to 30.

"Absolutely phenomenal! We have been observing him for several years, coming here and performing admirably. He isn’t focused on statistics; he simply wishes to play for the country and excel for the team, but regrettably, he hasn’t received much support from the other side," Rohit concluded.