File image of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli© BCCI
Indian cricket fans were left highly disappointed after Shubman Gill and co. faced a shocking 7-wicket defeat (DLS) against Australia in the first ODI of the three-match series on Sunday in Perth. Moreover, the star duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also failed to score big, adding to the misery of the Indian fans. Rohit and Virat, who returned to international cricket after a hiatus of seven months, were dismissed for eight and a duck respectively. Former Australia pacer Glenn McGrath blamed the lack of game time for the star duo’s abysmal performance.
Speaking on the Fast Bowling Cartel YouTube channel, McGrath stated that due to the extra bounce and pace on Perth’s pitch, Virat and Rohit failed to survive against Australia’s bowling lineup.
“There was a lot of talk going into the match about the two greats, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. They’ve not had a lot of cricket under their belt. And I think they found out a little bit on a pitch that has got a little bit more pace and a lot more bounce than what they’re used to back in India,” said McGrath.
Both India and Australia will meet again on Thursday for the second ODI of the three-match series in Adelaide. Ahead of the second match, India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak was asked if Kohli and Rohit looked ‘rusty’ at Perth.
“I do not think so,” Kotak said in response to the question. “They played the IPL. The preparation has been very good. I think it was the weather. It would have been the same if Australia had come out to bat first. It is not easy when there are four or five interruptions and every two overs you are going in and coming back out.”
“Both of them are very experienced. Before coming to Australia, they had proper preparation. I think it is too early to judge them. They just retired from Test cricket. Coming into the series, we were aware of their fitness levels and the preparation work they had been doing. We had access to their videos from the NCA. With such senior players, you do not need to step in right away if you see they are doing the right things. If you try to get involved too much, that might not be the best approach,” Kotak said.
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