Those three hours are not going to dictate what this team is - Rohit Sharma

India got off to a subpar start to their three-game Test series against New Zealand. Both sides locked horns in the first Test of the series at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on October 16, and the visitors completely overwhelmed India, registering an eight-wicket win to gain an advantage in the series. 

Having lost the first Test, star India skipper Rohit Sharma came forward and maintained a positive attitude about the loss. He opined that three hours of bad cricket, like on day 2, where India were bundled out for 46 runs, does not define how the team plays Tests. 

"I am not going to look too much into this Test match honestly because those three hours [when India were bowled out for 46] are not going to dictate what this team is. I am not going to look too much into this Test match honestly because those three hours [when India were bowled out for 46] are not going to dictate what this team is,” Rohit Sharma was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

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"I think it's important to keep a consistent message in the group, which is that whenever we are put under pressure, we try to make a way into the game in whatever possible way - that is what we have been talking about,” he added. 

We really found a way to come back into this game: Rohit Sharma

Rohit also commended team India for the way they made their comeback into the game. It is worth noting that after getting bundled out for 46 runs in the first innings, India managed to score 462 runs in the second innings, giving the Black Caps a target of 107 runs to chase down towards the latter stages of the game. 

"And we really found a way to come back into this game with the bat in the second innings. Of course, we lost a Test match. That's why it probably won't make sense what I am talking about. But I honestly feel there have been a lot of good things that happened in this game. So it's just about keeping a very calm atmosphere, not to send panic messages,” Rohit Sharma said.