Rohit Sharma admits captaincy loopholes after India’s 0-3 whitewash to New Zealand, says ‘I was not at my best’

India captain Rohit Sharma admitted he wasn’t at his best as a captain and with the bat after India suffered a humiliating 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand in the Test series on Sunday in Mumbai. Having lost the first two Tests in Bengaluru and Pune, India lost the third Test by 25 runs inside three days after a batting collapse on the third day.

Set a target of 147, India were all out for 121, thanks to Ajaz Patel's five-wicket haul. The New Zealand spinner had also taken a fifer in the first innings to finish the match with 11 wickets.

Rishabh Pant was India's lone warrior in the second innings with a fighting with 64 off 57 balls. Rohit described the loss as a very low point of his career and took full responsibility for loss. “Something like this will be a very low point of my career and I take full responsibility for it," Rohit said at the post-match press conference.

He added that losing a Test series like this at home is not ‘easily digestible’. “Yes absolutely (bitter pill to swallow). Losing a series, a Test match, is never easy... something that is not easily digestible. We didn't play our best cricket. New Zealand played better throughout the series. There were a lot of mistakes we did,” added the Indian captain.

“The first two Tests we did not put enough runs in the first innings. This game we got the 30 runs (28) lead and the target was chaseable. “We failed as a unit. When you are chasing a target like that, you want runs on the board. That was in my mind and it did not come of. When it does not come off it does not look great," he added.

Rohit also admitted that he was disappointed with his own performance. “I go in with certain plans and those did not come off this series. We did not play our best cricket in these conditions and are facing the result of that.”

“I was not at my best as captain in leading the team as well as with the bat also. Collectively as a unit we failed to perform,” the India skipper said.