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India captain Rohit Sharma on Sunday said their 3-0 defeat to New Zealand was a “career low point” but promised a turnaround on the upcoming tour of Australia.
The hosts fell by 25 runs in the third Test in three days in Mumbai, only their second series whitewash at home.
Rohit’s team, hot favorites before the series, failed to chase down 147 and were bowled out for 121.
“It will be a very low point in my career, having lost three matches at home,” Rohit said.
“I take full responsibility for it. As a leader, I was not at my best right from the start of the series. With the bat also, I was not good enough.”
India will now travel to Australia for five Tests, starting in Perth on November 22.
India won 2-1 against Australia in their last two Test tours.
“Australia is not an easy place to play cricket, but we can take a lot of confidence from the way we played in the last two series in Australia,” Rohit said.
“Deep down we have to think like this: the Australian series is very, very important to us now.”
India have slipped to second place in the World Test Championship rankings, now led by Australia.
India will need four wins in Australia to maintain their chances of qualifying for next year’s final at Lord’s.
Rohit’s form is worrying, getting out cheap on Sunday for 11 and scoring just 1 run in six innings in the series.
Virat Kohli also failed with the bat, scoring just a fifty with four single-digit scores. He was out for one against Ajaz Patel in the final chase.
“If the batters are not performing, it is a cause for worry. But what is done is done now,” Rohit said.
“I think as a player, as a captain, as a team, we all have to look to the future and see how we can correct what we failed to achieve here,” he said. he added.
“There’s a good opportunity for us to go and do something really, really special in Australia.”
Rohit could miss the first two matches for “personal reasons”, according to Indian media.
“As of now, I am not sure whether I will go (for the opening match),” Rohit said. “But let’s see. Fingers crossed.”
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