We came together well as a team: Rohit Sharma

TIL Desk Sports/ Stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma showered praise on his team after India defeated New Zealand by 35 runs to clinch the five-match ODI rubber 4-1 here on Sunday.

After a top-order collapse in the fifth and final contest, Ambati Rayudu (90), Vijay Shankar (45) and all-rounder Hardik Pandya (45) rose to the occasion to help India reach a fighting 252 before the Indian bowlers came into the picture to dismiss the Kiwis for 217.

“At the toss, I said we needed to come together as a team and we did that. Four down, we needed someone to apply, and Rayudu and Vijay Shankar did that. The way Hardik and Kedar played was magnificent,” Rohit said after the match.

“We showed a lot of character. With the ball as well. Bowlers got crucial breakthroughs at critical times. When you want to win games, you’ve got to find the right balance. Coming here and beating them at home wasn’t going to be easy,” the skipper added.