Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s early dismissals left India in trouble in the first ODI against Australia in Perth on October 19.
Australia won the toss, opted to bowl first, and made full use of the ideal bowling conditions. Rohit, playing in his 500th international match, scored just 8 runs off 14 balls before edging to second slip off the bowling of Josh Hazlewood. The ball went to Matt Renshaw, who took a straightforward catch. Soon after, Kohli fell for a seven-ball duck, marking his first duck in ODIs on Australian soil. Mitchell Starc bowled outside off, inviting Kohli to play the cover drive, but he only managed a thick edge which flew to Cooper Connolly at point. To his credit, Connolly took a sharp diving catch to his left. Inside seven overs, India had lost both their batting stalwarts.
During their brief stay at the crease, Rohit looked slightly better in comparison to Kohli.
Both Rohit and Virat were returning to international cricket after the Champions Trophy, but their comeback didn’t go as planned. New ODI captain Shubman Gill also lost his wicket attempting to glance the ball down the leg side.
The responsibility to stabilise the innings now falls on the new vice-captain, Shreyas Iyer, and Axar Patel, who walked in at number five. With the new ball on a spicy Perth wicket, Starc and Hazlewood built the pressure with dot balls and reaped the rewards.
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