He blamed their tasteless bowling performance for the humiliating loss of 10 wickets.
Defending 169, the Indian bowlers fared poorly as England flyhalf Alex Hales and Jos Buttler scoffed the chase, completing the task with four overs to spare.
As it happened: India v England
“Quite disappointed with how it went today. We hit well from the back to get that scoreline. We weren’t level with the ball. It certainly wasn’t a wicket where a team can come and chase him in 16 overs. With the ball we couldn’t come back today,” Rohit said during the post-match presentation.
“When it comes to the knockout stages, it’s about dealing with the pressure. It also depends on the individual. You can’t teach anyone how to deal with the pressure. When these guys are playing the IPL playoffs and it’s all high pressure games, and they’re able to handle it.
“The way we started with the ball wasn’t ideal. We were a bit nervous.”
Hales and Buttler got it right and the Indian skipper praised the England fly-half for their flawless strike.
“You have to give credit to their openers, they played really well. I thought it was swinging a bit in the first round but not in the right areas. We know runs are scored square of the wicket, we were aware of that .
“When we won the first game, it showed a lot of character. The game against Bangladesh, it was tricky. I thought we kept our cool and continued to execute our plans. I couldn’t do that today.”
England skipper Jos Buttler has praised the team for scripting a remarkable turnaround after the shock defeat to Ireland at the start of the tournament.
“The character we’ve shown since then (England’s loss to Ireland) – it was amazing. We came here very excited, there was a very good feeling,” he said.
“Everyone from 1-11 – got up today. We always want to start fast and aggressively. Rashid was batting at 11, it’s amazing to know we have such depth.”
Buttler, who had the best view as Hales went hammer and pliers, praised his opening partner for his jaw-dropping shot.
“Hales used the dimensions well and he showed his form. He was brilliant today. It’s important to appreciate that, it was a brilliant performance from us,” he said.
Chris Jordan did most of the damage, coming back with 3 for 43 after entering the semis as a replacement for an injured Mark Wood.
“We have to give special credit to Jordan, to make three overs to the death before the semi-final, it was hard work. He handled the pressure pretty well towards the end, especially against a world-class player like Hardik Pandya“, Butler said.
Hales, who was voted player of the match for his scintillating 47-ball shot, said it was a ‘special hit’ and the ‘best night of his career’ as he didn’t expect to play in another Cup of the world.
“It’ll be up there for sure (referring to a perfect inning). Huge opportunity, India in semi-finals of a World Cup, really happy with the way I played and that’s as special as it gets,” said Hales, who hit four limits and up to seven sixes.
“It’s one of the best grounds to hit on, especially on the power play, a very good surface and great value for good cricket shots, it’s a ground I have fond memories of and I like hitting here.”
Hales had joined the England squad for this World Cup after a three-year exile following his failed recreational drug test in 2019.
“I never thought I would play in a World Cup again, so to have this chance is a very special feeling, in a country (Australia) that I love and spend a lot of time in, this night is one of the best nights of my career.”
