Brisbane [Australia], December 18 : Skipper Rohit Sharma on Wednesday reflected on India's performance in the Brisbane Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, emphasising the team's resolve to keep fighting regardless of the situation.
The third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia ended in a draw on Wednesday due to persistent weather interruptions in Brisbane.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Rohit stated that his team does not give up easily, no matter the circumstances. He acknowledged that the side didn't have enough time to chase down the target of 270-280 runs in 50 overs during the Test.
"This mindset has been with our team for a while now--whatever the situation, we don't give up easily. We want to keep fighting. Even when we bowled in the second innings, we maintained the same intensity, aiming to bowl them out for 60-70 runs because we knew they would play their shots and try to score quickly. That creates opportunities, and we did get some. However, we didn't have enough time to chase 270-280 in 50 overs," Rohit was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
The skipper added that India's performance in the Brisbane Test would serve as a confidence booster ahead of the Melbourne Test.
"There's pressure on the opposition too. Until you put pressure on the other team, you won't know how they react under it. When we were here last time, we chased down 320-330 [328] on the final day, and they'll have that at the back of their minds. They know we are capable of such chases. What happened today has given us confidence heading into Melbourne. However, we are aware that we have to start from scratch. The conditions there are different, and the ball may not move as much as it did here. We need to analyse and plan accordingly," he added.
Despite Australia's captain Pat Cummins making a bold decision to declare at 89/7 and setting India a target of 275 runs, the match ended in a stalemate.
Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul looked in good touch, effectively handling the pace attack from Cummins and Mitchell Starc. The pair found a few perfectly timed shots to keep the scoreboard ticking. However, as the Test progressed, the weather intervened, halting play. Eventually, it became evident that resuming the match would be unlikely. Both teams shook hands and departed Brisbane with a draw.