Story highlights John Kasich said Donald Trump feared an open convention

He shrugged off criticism over a deal with Ted Cruz's campaign on upcoming contests

Washington (CNN) John Kasich said Monday he's not the desperate one on the campaign trail. Donald Trump is.

"The Trump people are very desperate. They're very fearful that we're going to end up in an open convention," Kasich told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "We'll get the convention and the delegates will look at who they would like to see as president."

Kasich was pushing back on criticism from Donald Trump on Monday over the deal the Ohio governor struck with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, which Trump said reeked of "desperation." Sen. Jeff Sessions, a Trump supporter, also referred to the move as "desperate measures."

Kasich and Cruz on Sunday night unveiled a plan in which they would not compete with one another in three of the remaining states, part of a last-ditch plan to deny Trump the 1,237 delegates he needs for a first-ballot clinch at the GOP convention in Cleveland.

That alliance had an uneven first day, with Kasich underplaying the deal and growing irritated when questioned repeatedly about it, while Cruz repeatedly volunteered that Kasich's concession to "pull out" of Indiana was a major moment.