Indian cricket fans were left deeply disappointed as Shubman Gill and his team suffered a shocking 7-wicket (DLS) defeat against Australia in the first ODI of the three-match series on Sunday in Perth. Adding to their frustration, star batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli failed to make an impact, with both players getting dismissed cheaply — Rohit scoring just 8 runs and Kohli falling for a duck.
The match marked the duo’s return to international cricket after a seven-month break, and former Australian fast-bowler Glenn McGrath didn’t hold back from sharing his thoughts. According to McGrath, the pair’s lack of recent game time played a major role in their underwhelming performance.
Speaking on the Fast Bowling Cartel YouTube channel, McGrath pointed out that the extra pace and bounce of the Perth pitch exposed the rustiness in Rohit and Kohli’s games.
“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.
India and Australia are set to face each other again on Thursday in Adelaide for the second ODI. Ahead of the game, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak addressed questions about whether Rohit and Kohli appeared ‘rusty’ in Perth.
“I don’t think so,” Kotak replied. “They played in the IPL, and their preparation has been very good. I think it was the weather conditions. It would have been the same had Australia batted first. It’s never easy when you have four or five interruptions and players keep going on and off the field every couple of overs.”
Kotak further defended the senior duo, saying, “Both of them are extremely experienced. Before coming to Australia, they had proper preparation. It’s too early to judge them. They just retired from Test cricket, and we were fully aware of their fitness and preparation levels. We also reviewed their training videos from the NCA. With such senior players, you don’t need to interfere too much when they’re doing the right things — too much involvement can sometimes do more harm than good.”