Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had been taking part in their first worldwide match since March, and their final aggressive match had are available in June.
Perth wasn’t easy. There was bounce, movement off the deck. Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer didn’t do much, but it was Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli who were the talking points.
After their extended absence from international cricket—both making a return after 7 months and having retired from Test matches since their last appearances—all the attention was on Rohit and Kohli. The narrative was further heightened by Chairman of Selectors Ajit Agarkar’s decision not to confirm whether they were part of India’s 2027 ODI World Cup plans.
The broadcasters were building the India vs Australia ODI series on Rohit and Kohli, and what happened couldn’t have been more anticlimactic. Rohit got caught at second slip for 8, and Kohli edged one to backward point to walk back for an 8-ball duck.
Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli show rust
Reflecting on the match, former India cricketer Irfan Pathan pointed out how neither Rohit nor Kohli appeared game-fit in Perth. While both looked physically fit—Rohit had recently undergone a transformation—Pathan observed that neither seemed at home.
He also noted that Kohli was dismissed similarly to how he got out in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia a few months ago. Shreyas Iyer‘s short-ball weakness was also mentioned by Pathan, and he stated that perhaps the batter needs to work on his technique a little bit more.
“Fitness is one thing, and game time is one thing. That is why Rohit looked a bit troubled. It looked like the demons of the BGT were back for Virat. I hope this is not the case in Adelaide and Sydney. KL Rahul batted well today. Shreyas Iyer got into an awkward position. Maybe he can work a bit more on his technique. Axar does well whenever he gets an opportunity to bat ahead,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
The former all-rounder highlighted how, since there are no warm-up matches anymore, players sometimes take a match or two to get accustomed to the conditions.
“Whenever you tour such countries, it is always better to go early and play some games. It was going to be difficult for India. It was going to be a challenge, as the conditions would not be easy. Our bowlers could not get the right lengths. The batters also had trouble with the bounce. If you had played a game or two, these mistakes would not have happened. It is important to think about these things going forward,” he added.
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