Like it was during the second Test at Chepauk, the Motera pitch too has been under scrutiny with the penultimate Test not even lasting two full days.

India’s bowlers turned out to be more effective on the pitch where all batsmen struggled. But according to Rohit Sharma, the problem lay with the batsmen’s faulty technique as well as injudicious shot selection, not the pitch.

“If you look at how all the 30 wickets fell, I don’t see anything wrong with the pitch. It’s just that the batsmen didn’t apply themselves in terms of technique.

“Not just them, but us also. Some of the shots played by us weren’t up to the standard,” Rohit said during a virtual conference after India’s 10-wicket win in Ahmedabad.

“It seemed like a normal, typical Indian wicket where it would turn and the odd ball would come in. We just made mistakes in understanding which shots to play and which ball was coming in, whether to play the cut or sweep.”

Just as he did in the previous Test with his match-determining century, Rohit’s 66 in the first innings was equally crucial. Looking at how the Indian batting collapsed with seven wickets falling for just 31 runs, India would have struggled to take the first-innings lead had it not been for Rohit’s contribution.

“When you are playing on a pitch like that, you need to have an intent and look to score runs as well. You can’t just keep blocking.

“As you saw, the odd ball might just turn and skid on to the stumps when you play for the turn. So it’s important to keep that intent and try and use your feet, and do as many things as possible to stay ahead of the bowler’s mindset. Because, you’re playing on a pitch that has a lot to offer,” the opener explained, talking about his approach.

“You just need to be slightly ahead at times and try to find ways to score runs while respecting the good balls. On a track like this, you need to have a clear mindset, which I think I did, until I played that sweep shot.”