NEW DELHI: Indian senior opener Rohit Sharma delivered a stellar performance in India’s nine-wicket triumph over Australia in the third One-Day International. He hammered an unbeaten 121, masterfully steering India to chase down a target of 237 runs at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Sharma forged a crucial, unbroken 168-run partnership with former captain Virat Kohli, who contributed a fluent 74 not out, guiding the team to a dominant victory.
Image: Harshit Rana celebrating a wicket with his teammates after dismissing Mitchell Owen of Australia.
Although India clinched the final match, they ultimately lost the three-match series 1-2. However, Rohit Sharma chose to focus on the positives, particularly commending the impressive showing of emerging players like fast bowler Harshit Rana. In a statement shared by the BCCI, Rohit remarked, “Unfortunately, we couldn’t win the series, but I think it’s still a very relatively young team. A lot of the guys haven’t been here, playing white-ball cricket. So, we can take a lot of positives also from here, especially Harshit Rana, who’s been playing white-ball cricket for the first time in Australia. The way he bowled in both the games, Perth obviously was a shortened game, but looking at how he bowled in Adelaide and also here, it was a fantastic effort from him.”
A video update featuring Shubman Gill’s press conference, where he lauded Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli after India’s big win, was also part of the original coverage.
Sharma also reflected on the formidable challenge posed by the Australian team, stating, “They are a tough opposition. We’ve seen that over the years, how they play their cricket, they really enjoy being out there in the middle. They never let anything come to you easy. You always have to work really, really hard. Having been here, playing with these guys so many times, it’s very important to stand up and get the best out of whatever experience you have against them. They are a quality team, no doubt about that.”
Detailing his personal approach to the innings, Rohit explained, “I enjoy playing in Australia in general. Today was the perfect day again to get a big one and get the team through. The bowlers did a fantastic job of restricting them first up. Up front with the two new balls, it was a bit challenging. I wanted to bat as deep as possible and see how we can take the game till the end. Sometimes you think about so many things, but today it just perfectly fit into my plans.”
Regarding his memorable partnership with Kohli, he added, “Yeah, fantastic partnership. After a long time, I think we’ve not had a 100-run partnership for a long time. It was good for the team, looking at how we were placed. There was a lot of chatter between us. We understand each other really well. It’s just about taking the game and understanding what is required at that point, and it definitely comes with experience.”
Rohit’s impressive innings, characterized by both patience and powerful hitting, coupled with his commendation for emerging talent like Harshit Rana, showcased India’s deep squad and seasoned expertise, establishing a strong foundation as the team prepares for future white-ball cricket challenges.