New Delhi, 20 July (H.S.):

Following India’s defeat against England in the third and deciding ODI at Lord’s, former Indian captain Rohit Sharma said the team made every effort during the run chase but fell short by around 20-25 runs. He admitted that the loss was disappointing but stressed that the team must learn from the setback and move ahead.

In a video released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday, Rohit said the team had played good cricket throughout the tour but missed out on achieving the target in the crucial match.

“The result was a little disappointing because I felt we were playing some really good cricket. We had a fantastic start in Birmingham. In Cardiff, our batting did not go as expected and we did not put enough runs on the board. Here too, the target was huge. We gave it our best shot, but we ended up 20-25 runs short,” Rohit said.

In the absence of premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, India’s bowling attack came under pressure in the Lord’s ODI. England scored 62 runs in the final three overs to post a massive total of 387 runs. However, Rohit backed the young Indian bowlers and defended their performance.

“These players have not played much ODI cricket yet. They need some time. Hopefully, we will learn from this match and perform better in the future,” he said.

Rohit also spoke about his experience of playing in England and said he enjoys the challenges offered by the conditions there.

“I love playing in England. The atmosphere, the grounds and the pitches always provide a new challenge. As a cricketer, these are the kinds of challenges you want. Personally, I enjoyed it, but as I said earlier, the result was a little disappointing. Now we have to move forward and identify areas where we can improve as a team,” he said.

The former captain emphasised that team success depends not only on individual performances but also on collective efforts.

Rohit-Virat Partnership Creates Record

The 113-run partnership between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli at Lord’s created a new milestone in ODI cricket. It was their 21st century partnership in the format, helping them surpass Sri Lankan greats Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan, who had 20 century partnerships, to claim the second spot in the all-time list.

The record for the most century partnerships in ODI cricket is held by Indian legends Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, who shared 26 such partnerships.

Speaking about his understanding with Virat Kohli, Rohit said their long association on the field has helped them build a strong partnership.

“We have played our entire careers together. Batting with Virat is always enjoyable. We understand each other’s game and thought process very well. During an innings, we keep communicating about how to take the match forward,” he said.

India Lose ODI Series 2-1

England defeated India by 27 runs in the third and final ODI at Lord’s to win the three-match series 2-1. Batting first, England posted 387 runs for the loss of three wickets. In reply, India managed 360 runs for seven wickets in their allotted 50 overs.

Rohit Sharma played a brilliant innings of 138 runs, while captain Shubman Gill scored 77 runs and Virat Kohli contributed 74 runs. Earlier, India had also suffered a 4-0 defeat against England in the five-match T20I series.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar