IND vs AUS 2022-23, 1st Test: 'Never thought Australia would get bowled out in a session' - Rohit Sharma

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma won't comment on the mental fortitude of the Australian team but certainly didn't expect them to get bowled out in just one session on the third day of the opening Test at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium in Nagpur on Saturday. Australia suffered a brutal defeat by an innings and 132 runs after being all out for just 91 in its second essay in the session between lunch and tea on the third day.

"No, I didn't. We were prepared to have a hard day's bowling, spending session after session. We never thought they would get bowled out in a session. As you saw, the pitch became slower and slower, and there was no bounce on the pitch, so it was a bit of surprise for me," is what Rohit said when asked if he expected the match to end well inside three days.

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There was a lot of pre-match talk from the Australian media, with a leading daily terming the Jamtha track as "systematically doctored" while others termed it "dodgy" even before a ball was bowled. The calm Indian skipper, in his inimitable manner, sanded it in when asked if he uncovered his team to be mentally more challenging than Australia.

"I don't know the mental status of the Australian team. I can vouch for our team, and we are the ones who want to play on pitches like these and not just from now. We have been playing on pitches like these for the last 3-4 years," Rohit said. He persisted with his caustic way of telling things.

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"Because we have all grown up playing on pitches like these, there is no talk about pitches anymore in the changing room," he continued. For the Indian skipper, preparation for a cricket match or in any aspect of life is key to success. I gave a lot of credit to training sessions in Civil Lines before we came here," framed Rohit.

"We had four or five net sessions and prepared the kind of pitch we were supposed to get here. Whether going down the track or sweeping, reverse sweep, hitting over the top, when you prepare well, you get confidence, not just in cricket but everywhere," added Rohit. During the historical series of 2021, India returned after being shot out for 36 in the opening Test.

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An Australian scribe asked if the visitors could turn it around. "It's a good question. Australia is always a good team. Many guys who played in that series are away from Australia. Australia loves playing Test cricket, and they take pride in representing the country, so we are aware of them bouncing back and what they can do as a team," Rohit declared, smiling wryly.

"We want to play the cricket we are playing, and we would continue to do that in the three games we have. As captain, I need to focus on what we have in Delhi and then move on from there," concluded Rohit.

(With inputs from PTI)