Winning Test series in South Africa will not ease pain of losing World Cup final: Rohit Sharma

After winning ten matches on the trot, India were the favourites to win the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad. However, following a poor batting display, the Men in Blue suffered a six-wicket defeat as the Pat Cummins-led side went on to win their sixth world title in history. On the other hand, the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah decided to take a break from international cricket as the trio is all set to make their return in the upcoming two-match series against South Africa.

Ahead of that, skipper Rohit Sharma was asked about his thoughts regarding the final on November 19. Speaking to the press for the first time since the defeat, the 36-year-old stated that it was hard for everyone to move on after that loss and added that one has to find a way to focus on the future. He mentioned that the fans have encouraged the players a lot as he is now focusing on his batting ahead of the Test series against the Proteas.

“The way we played in the World Cup, you expect to go all the way. We worked hard for the cup. There are certain things we didn't do well in the final. It is hard after a loss like that. But you got to find a way to move on and look forward. We got a lot of encouragement from the outside world. That motivated me personally. As a batter, I am batting as well I could. Whatever is in front of me, I'll look forward to it,” Rohit Sharma said in the press conference.

Being in his hilarious avatar, Rohit also mentioned that everyone has worked really hard in recent times and hence, they deserve to win something and are eyeing for the series win against the Temba Bavuma-led side. The opener added that he is not sure if it will help him forget the pain of the World Cup loss but is aiming to become the first Indian captain to win a Test series in South Africa.

“We’ve never clinched a series here, so it would be a significant achievement if we manage to do it. I’m not sure if it can completely erase the pain of the World Cup defeat, but achieving this would indeed be a positive outcome. We’ve put in so much hard work, so we deserve this, at least to some extent,” he added.