Sports Desk: Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has expressed confidence that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will return to form in the second ODI against Australia in Adelaide, following their disappointing performances in Perth.
Both senior Indian batters, making a comeback after a seven-month international hiatus, struggled on Perth’s challenging pitch, scoring 0 and 8 respectively. Australia capitalized on India’s batting collapse to win the first ODI comfortably by seven wickets, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Gavaskar defended the duo, highlighting the difficulty of adjusting to Perth’s notorious bounce after a long break.
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“They were playing on probably the bounciest pitch in Australia. It wasn’t going to be easy, especially for players who haven’t played international cricket for a couple of months. It was challenging even for Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, who play regularly,” he said.
The former India captain remained optimistic about India’s prospects and stressed that more time at the crease and in practice nets would help Kohli and Rohit regain their rhythm.
“India are still a very, very good team. Don’t be surprised if Rohit and Kohli score big in the next two games. The more they play, the more time they spend in the nets, the quicker they’ll find their rhythm. Once they’re back among the runs, India’s total will be 300, or 300-plus,” Gavaskar added.
The Adelaide Oval offers an ideal venue for a turnaround, particularly for Kohli, who boasts an exceptional record there. In four ODIs at the ground, he has scored 244 runs at an average of 61, including two centuries, while his Test record features 537 runs in five matches at 53.70, with three hundreds. India will be hoping their senior stars rise to the occasion as they aim to level the series in the second ODI.
