After a significant 224-day hiatus, cricket enthusiasts globally were thrilled to witness the legendary Indian duo, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, back on the field. The anticipation, coinciding with the festive Diwali week, brought immense joy as fans tuned into the ODI series. This much-awaited return followed India’s Champions Trophy triumph, and despite both stars having stepped away from T20Is and Test cricket, expectations for their performance were soaring. Regrettably, the initial match failed to meet these high hopes.
In a twist of fate, Australia won the toss and chose to field, extending India’s unlucky streak to 16 consecutive ODI toss losses. Their last toss victory had been against New Zealand in the CWC 2023 semifinals held at Wankhede.
As play commenced, Australia’s formidable bowlers wasted no time capitalizing on the lively Perth pitch. Josh Hazlewood delivered a perfectly pitched hard-length ball, trapping Rohit Sharma. Soon after, Mitchell Starc tempted Virat Kohli with a wide delivery, which Kohli uncharacteristically chased, leading to a rare duck – his first in 30 ODI innings played on Australian soil. Promising young talent Shubman Gill managed a few elegant boundaries but was ultimately dismissed leg before wicket. Together, this star-studded trio mustered a mere 18 runs, marking their lowest combined aggregate in an ODI where all three featured. This overshadowed their previous low of 25 runs against Pakistan in Pallekele in 2023.
The early dismissals were soon followed by a brief rain interruption, adding to India’s challenging start.
Adding to the day’s misfortunes, this match also marked Rohit Sharma’s monumental 500th international appearance. However, this significant career milestone began on a disappointing note, continuing a pattern of modest personal scores in his landmark games: he scored 15 in his 100th, 21 in his 200th, 8 in his 300th, 15 and 46 in his 400th, and a mere 8 runs in this 500th fixture.
Despite this challenging opening, the match is still in its nascent stages. Fans are eagerly hoping the Men in Blue can stage a swift recovery and effectively counter Australia’s disciplined bowling attack on what promises to be a demanding Perth pitch.