New Zealand played better throughout the series: Rohit Sharma

India captain Rohit Sharma on Sunday described the unprecedented 0-3 Test series whitewash to New Zealand at home as "a very low point of my career" and took full responsibility for the debacle. The 25-run defeat in the third Test against New Zealand in Mumbai marked India's first ever 0-3 defeat at home

Set a target of 147, India were all out for 121. The hosts also suffered embarrassing defeats in the first two Tests of the series. "Something like this will be a very low point of my career and I take full responsibility for it," Rohit said at the post-match press conference. He added that losing a Test series like this at home is not "easily digestible".

"Yes absolutely (bitter pill to swallow). Losing a series, a Test match, is never easy... something that is not easily digestible. We didn't play our best cricket. New Zealand played better throughout the series. There were a lot of mistakes we made," Rohit said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

"The first two Tests we did not score enough runs in the first innings. This game we got the 30 runs (28) lead and the target was chaseable. We failed as a unit. When you are chasing a target like that, you want runs on the board. That was in my mind and it did not come off. When it does not come off it does not look great," he added.

To compound his woes, Rohit remains doubtful for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Perth later this month owing to personal reasons, with the India skipper on Sunday saying he has his "fingers crossed" on his participation.

The Indian team is set to embark on a tough five-match Test series in Australia starting 22 November in Perth. In case Rohit misses the Test, vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah will lead the side in the series opener while Abhimanyu Easwaran is likely to be his cover.

Rohit also admitted that he was disappointed with his own performance. "I go in with certain plans and those did not come off in this series. We did not play our best cricket in these conditions and are facing the result of that. I was not at my best as captain in leading the team as well as with the bat," the skipper said.

Packed with apparently proven performers, the Indian team seemed clueless in the face of the unprecedented whitewash. A courageous Rishabh Pant raised hopes of a great escape with his valiant 64-run knock, but once he trudged back to the pavilion following a contentious third-umpire call, the Indian fortress, that had been breached twice in this series before, was completely razed by the Black Caps.

In pursuit of a manageable 147, India's famed batters, a few classified as modern-day greats, presented a pitiful picture as they folded for 121.

This is the first time that the Indian team has been clean swept in a three-match series. The last time India suffered a similar whitewash was in 2000, when it lost 0-2 to South Africa.

The aura of invincibility around the team at home was broken with remarkable ease by the Kiwis, who not only adapted to, but mastered the conditions that have always favoured them.

India had only themselves to blame in failing to chase a sub-par target on a day-three pitch, losing five key wickets for a mere 16 runs at the start for an embarrassing collapse. With 55 runs needed post lunch and five wickets intact, India's hopes rested on Pant, but his fall swung the game in New Zealand’s favour completely.

The team's ineptitude exerted pressure on Pant, who could not have responded any better against the odds, until the ghosts of inaccurate technology arrived to haunt him and India.

Having not taken a review earlier in the morning session for a leg-before, New Zealand burned one when they appealed against Pant for a caught-behind, but replays showed Patel’s delivery in the 22nd over had neither been in contact with the bat nor the gloves.

But on the next, Pant was contentiously adjudged out caught-behind by third umpire. New Zealand were convinced hearing a noise as DRS replays showed a tiny spike, which Pant did convey to the on-field umpires was the sound of his bat brushing the pads, but former Australia player and third umpire Paul Reiffel ruled against the Indian.

Captain Rohit’s ultra-aggressive approach when a more calculated one was required in a tricky situation, had him walking back perhaps for the last time on his home turf. His erroneous attempt to play his signature pull shot off Matt Henry on a delivery which was barely waist-high led to his fall.

As soon as Rohit's top edge went up, Henry broke into celebration knowing it was headed towards Glenn Phillips — one of the team's best fielders — who ran behind from midwicket to take a fine catch.

Virat Kohli (1) marched onto the ground once again with his bat trained on his shoulder, perhaps to exude confidence, but he could not reach the pitch of a floated delivery which took the edge of his bat to the first slip.