Gutted. That is the feeling for us Indian cricket fans and the Indian team, as a 209-run defeat to Australia meant we missed out on the Test mace for the second time.

Requiring 280 runs to defy the odds and chase down 444 on the final day of the 2021-23 ICC World Test Championship Final, India started at 164/3 after 40 overs. However, Australia's relentless bowling led us to bowled out for 234 within 23.3 overs.

On behalf of the team, our leader Rohit Sharma spoke to the media at the post-match presentation and the press conference.

He began by stating, perhaps, the obvious. “We let ourselves down. We spoke about bowling tighter lines, but it didn't work out. You've got to give credit to the Australians; they played well. We knew it was always hard to come back, but we put up a good show. We fought till the end.”

Rohit was quick enough to highlight the efforts of Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur, who kept the faint hopes of a possible comeback alive in the first innings.

“I thought it was a great fightback from Rahane and Shardul after being five down for 150. They stood up, put up a good partnership there, and kept us in the game.”

And there was also praise for the team.

“Playing two finals is honestly a good achievement for us. But we'd like to go a mile ahead as well. You can't take the credit away from what we've done in those last two years to come here. Great effort from the entire unit. Unfortunately, we couldn't go on and win the final, but we'll keep our heads high and fight.”

One of the game-changing and, if we say, controversial moments was Cameron Green’s caught dismissal of Shubman Gill in the second innings. Certain replays showed that the ball touched the turf in what seemed to be a blinder of a catch. But, after some replays at his end, TV umpire Richard Kettleborough saw enough from the visuals to affirm his decision that Green had got his fingers under the ball. But, our Hitman begged to defer.

"I felt disappointed; the third umpire should have seen more replays. The decision was made quickly, especially in a final. In IPL, there are more than ten different angles, but not in an ICC event. No ultra motion or zoom-in angle was shown during Shubman Gill's dismissal.”

Speaking of tight schedules and preparation for finals, Rohit suggested that there should be a window. “In an event like this, you need much time to prepare. Last time we were here in England, we had a good 25-30 days to prepare ourselves, which reflected in being ahead in that game until it was called off.

“Ideally, we would want time in hand to give rest to the bowlers. It can be tough because of playing T20 cricket schedules. Some of our experienced players know how to switch their style of play from one format to another, but in an ideal scenario, I would ideally want 20-25 days to prepare for an event like this.”

Along the same lines, he had a suggestion to plan the WTC Finals better. “I would like to play the 3-Test match series for the WTC Final. We worked hard for two years but only played just one game. I think a 3-match series would be ideal in the next WTC cycle."

The lack of commitment from experienced players was a question, but Rohit replied, befitting a captain. “In the previous final (2021), our experienced players did perform well, but the case was different this time. There isn’t a lapse of concentration. The effort to adapt to the changing nature of Tests sometimes makes you confident to play certain types of shots. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”

Speaking on his mood and the one in the dressing room, it seemed mutual: Dejected.

“It is disappointing to not come out on top, given (we have had) a shot at a couple of finals now in World Test Championships.

"You get discouraged. There is no doubt about it, and it does disappoint, not just me, but I'm sure everyone in the changing room is disappointed because you work hard for it. Not seeing the result that you want to can be very disheartening, and that is what everyone's feeling right now. But the sport is all about picking yourself up and getting ready for the next big event that you have.”

Lastly, Rohit touched upon team selections and the agenda moving ahead. “We just finished the game and haven’t had time to discuss. But yes, we will have talks to understand what brand of cricket we want to play in the next two years and which players can take up those roles for us. Many players are doing well in domestic cricket, so it's all about finding the right ones and giving them the space to do the job for us. That will be our focus.”

Another factor in deciding his team, as the Indian captain mentioned, was knowing where the next WTC Finals would occur. “I want to see where the next World Test Championship Final will be played. Depending on that, we will decide which players we should get ready.”

Yes, it's not the result we wanted. But in the Hitman, we place all our trust. He is our leader, our inspiration, and under him, we cannot wait to bounce back. Bring on 2025!