Kohli ducks, Rohit falls early as veteran duo disappoint on return to international duty

New Delhi, Oct 19: Indian veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were on the receiving end after their underwhelming show in the first ODI of the three-match series against Australia in Perth. The duo walked out to bat together after seven months.

Returning to international cricket for the first time since India’s Champions Trophy victory in March, both players gave fans reasons to feel disappointed with their rough outing.

Opening the innings after being put to bat first, Rohit scored only 8 runs off 14 balls before being dismissed by Josh Hazlewood. Following his dismissal, all eyes were on Kohli, but the former Indian captain also failed to deliver, falling for a duck off 8 balls. It was Kohli’s first-ever zero in ODI cricket in Australia.

Fans expressed their disappointment online as the stalwarts failed to make an impression, setting a cautious tone for India’s innings. The initial applause at the Optus Stadium quickly faded as Australia struck early blows.

“Kohli sahab 0 (8) and gets out fishing outside the off stump. My man is truly missing his favourite Test cricket,” a fan wrote on X.

Another user posted, “How it feels to wake up early on a Sunday morning just to watch Rohit score 8 (14), Kohli score 0 (8) & Gill score 10 (18), when I could finish that movie last night.”

“The buildup to the series lasted more than ROKO’s stay in the middle!!” joked another fan.

One fan commented, “Rohit Sharma sacrificed his wicket so that fans can watch Virat Kohli. Most selfless cricketer of all time. RO-KO.”

“Never seen Rohit Sharma look so uncomfortable playing white-ball cricket in recent years. Ended up throwing his wicket, unfortunately. Really wanted to watch him bat long & play those glamorous shots,” another user wrote.

“Rohit Sharma looked so ugly in his short innings & got out playing a nothing shot. If he fails in the next 2 ODIs, that could very well be it for him. IMO he should have retired on a high after winning the Champions Trophy,” a fan added.

“Rohit Sharma on 8, Virat Kohli on 0 and Shubman Gill on 10, go out. What a great comeback and performance from all the players. The Indian cricket team is waving slowly,” another fan commented.

One user summed up the mood humorously: “Rohit and Kohli today looked like they were competing in a new format, T10 seconds batting challenge. Rohit walked in like a storm and went out like a light breeze. Bro swung the bat like he was trying to swat a mosquito, not hit a cricket ball. And Kohli? Man entered like a saviour, left like a scam. Together, they gave more hope to the opposition than runs to India.”

The abrupt end to Rohit and Kohli’s long-awaited return, combined with captain Shubman Gill’s early dismissal and rain delays, put India under pressure to reach a defendable total.

Team India ended the first powerplay at 26/3. The match, paused after 11.5 overs with the hosts at 37/3, faced further interruptions due to forecasted rain. The game was initially reduced to 49 overs per innings and later shortened to 35 overs per side. 

IANS