Kohli and Sharma’s Underperformance Expected: Gavaskar

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s disappointing performance in India’s first ODI against Australia in Perth came as no surprise to cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar. The veteran duo, returning after a seven-month international hiatus, struggled on the bouncy Australian pitch. Rohit managed only eight runs before falling, while Kohli scored a duck off just eight balls. India ultimately lost the match by seven wickets, trailing the three-match series 1-0.

Playing After Extended Break Proves Challenging

Gavaskar attributed their struggles to the significant gap from competitive international cricket, noting that both players hadn’t featured in such matches since June following the IPL. “They were playing on probably the bounciest pitch in Australia,” Gavaskar explained on India Today. The challenging conditions posed difficulties not only for the senior batsmen but also for regularly playing international cricketers like Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, he added. At 38 and 36 years old respectively, adjusting to high-paced international cricket after months away proved demanding.

Expected Return to Form Soon

Despite the opening loss, Gavaskar remains optimistic about India’s chances and the veterans’ prospects. He believes the more the experienced pair plays and practices, the quicker they’ll regain their rhythm and confidence. “Once they are back among the runs, India’s total will be 300, 300-plus,” Gavaskar predicted. He emphasized that India remains a formidable team capable of winning tournaments, suggesting that Kohli and Sharma will likely score significantly in the upcoming matches as they adapt to international competition again.