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Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are two of the biggest names in Indian cricket, but the pressure was truly on the duo when they arrived Down Under for the three-match series against Australia. While the Hitman did get 73 in the second match in Adelaide, the road was difficult for Kohli as he registered back-to-back ducks in the opening two ODIs. Fair to say, the third ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground had a lot riding on it for the two stalwarts.
But as they say, the true definition of a class player is that he or she stands up when the odds are heavily stacked against them. RoKo did exactly that as the two batters formed an unbeaten stand of 168 runs for the second wicket, helping India chase down the target of 237 with nine wickets in hand and 69 balls to spare.
Rohit remained unbeaten on 121 off 125 balls with the help of 13 fours and 3 sixes, while Kohli walked off with the field with a score of 74 off 81 balls to his name. Hence, it is no surprise that the former India coach, Ravi Shastri, went bonkers when he took the centre stage along with Adam Gilchrist for a post-match interview.
When Shastri got his chance to talk, the first thing he could say was, “But you two old dogs still have a sting in the tail.” This reaction left Rohit and Virat speechless, and the former had to take a few seconds before speaking.
Reacting to the statement made by Shastri, Rohit all but confirmed that he has no plans to retire and the 2027 ODI World Cup is well within his sights.
“Looks like it, yes. We enjoy our cricket. Most importantly, no matter what accolades we’ve achieved but it’s important that whenever you get an opportunity to play, you’ve got to come and start fresh,” said Rohit.
“And that’s what we did when we arrived in Perth. Forget what has happened in the last 15-17 years. I wanted to start fresh, and that’s how I personally view all the games I’ve played. I’m sure it’ll be the same for Virat as well. But enjoyed playing these three games,” he added.
Rohit Player of the Series
Rohit, who returned with a haul of 202 runs, was adjudged as Player of the Series. Speaking of the third and final ODI against Australia, Harshit Rana returned with four wickets as India bundled out the hosts for 236. For the first time in the series, India gave Kuldeep Yadav a game.
India then chased the target down comfortably; however, the visitors lost the series 1-2 after facing defeats in the opening two ODIs. After the win in the final ODI, both Rohit and Virat also thanked the Australian crowd for their support throughout the years.
Rohit played his first ODI series Down Under in 2008 while Kohli’s first international assignment in Australia came in the 2011-12 season.
