India’s aging stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli bounced back strongly in what was likely their last match on Australian soil.
Rohit Sharma completed his 33rd One-Day International hundred, Virat Kohli recovered from back-to-back ducks with a meticulous half-century and India avoided a whitewash against Australia to end their three-match series with a nine-wicket win. This match was the last international ODI in Australia.
Sharma, 38, and Kohli, 36, will not play in the five-match T20 series with Australia’s tour starting October 29, but neither player confirmed that Saturday’s match is the final match against Down Under.
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Sharma scored an unbeaten 121 off 125 balls, hitting 13 fours and three sixes, while Kohli hit 74 not out, with both batsmen knocked out 237 for 1 with over 11 overs to spare in what could be Australia’s last international innings.
Fast bowler Harshit Rana took a career-best 4-39 to defeat Australia at an under-par 236 after India lost 18 consecutive toss in ODIs with all six bowlers within the wicket.
Australia won Thursday’s match in Adelaide by two wickets to clinch the series 2-0. They achieved a seven-wicket victory in the opening match in Perth, which was interrupted by rain.
“It was a near perfect match,” said India captain Shubman Gill. He scored 24 points off 26 balls before being felled by Josh Hazlewood. “Rohit and Kohli have been doing it for years now – (a) very nice to watch;
Sharma, Kohli return to form
Sharma and Kohli shared a 168-run partnership that drew loud cheers from the crowd of around 40,000 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. This will be the first match between the two teams since January 2020.
Sharma’s century was punctuated by a powerful sweep against the spinners in front of the square, lofting Adam Zampa twice on either side of the wicket for six ounces (0-50), and then scoring his hundred with a single against the leg-spinners.
Kohli, who was dismissed for no points in Perth and Adelaide, hit Hazlewood with a single on middle on from the first ball and lightly pumped his fist. Kohli grew in confidence when he cut Zampa to the point boundary and then met Mitchell Starc with a straight drive boundary.
Kohli overcame a tough LBW test with 36 balls, drawn from a short ball by Nathan Ellis, and completed his half-century with 56 balls.
Kohli has also overtaken Kumar Sangakkara (14,234) and with 14,255 runs is just shy of Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record of 18,426.
Earlier, Matt Renshaw (56) scored his first ODI half-century before Australia collapsed and was bowled out in 46.4 overs.
All of Australia’s first six batsmen hit over 20 runs, but none of them could convert them into big scores. The home side lost 4 wickets for 18 runs after posting a good 183-3 in 34 overs as India continued to take wickets at regular intervals.
Travis Head, 29, started aggressively and made a solid catch on Mohamed Siraj’s setback point. Mitchell Marsh’s promising start ended when he gave left-arm spinner Axar Patel too much leeway and was clean bowled for 41 in 16 overs.
Renshaw and Alex Carey added 59 runs in a fourth-wicket stand, with Shreyas Iyer taking a brilliant catch while running from backward point. Renshaw was out LBW in the 37th over when he advanced down the wicket to the off-spin of Washington Sundar (2-44), but was hit low on his pads. Ellis made a small cameo appearance for 16 with three boundaries before Australia were bowled out.
“We needed another stand in the back of the first inning,” Marsh said. “We had a great showing with 183 wins and 3 losses, but we were unable to make a profit.”
