Indian captain Rohit Sharma opened up on his decision to bat first in the Bengaluru Test after the hosts had one of their worst days in Test cricket history as they were bowled out for just 46 runs against New Zealand on the second day of play in the series opener.

After rain ensured not a single ball was bowled on Day 1, play started on time on the second day in overcast conditions. Despite the heavy rain in Bengaluru for two days, which ensured the pitch was under covers for a long period, Rohit won the toss and decided to bat first.

However, the decision backfired as the hosts were bowled out for their lowest total in history on home soil. As many as five Indian batters (Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin). Apart from Rishabh Pant (20) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (13), no other Indian player reached double figures.

Rohit Sharma Breaks Silence On Decision To Bat First

After the home team's embarrassing performance with the bat, criticism was aimed at Indian captain Rohit and head coach Gautam Gambhir for their decision to bat first. As the New Zealand pacer wreaked havoc, the decision to play just two pacers and leave out Akash Deep was also questioned.

In the post-match press conference, the Indian captain his mistake and made a honest confession that he read the pitch wrong.

"We thought, it won't help seamers much after the first session or so. There wasn't much grass too. We thought it would be flat. It was a misjudgement and I couldn't read the pitch well," said Rohit as quoted by RevSportz.

At Stumps On Day 3, New Zealand have a 134-run lead and have lost just three wickets. Devon Conway ensured New Zealand's batting unit did not buckle under pressure with a fine knock of 91.

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