In their first competitive match for India after more than seven months, Rohit Sharma could only manage to score 8 runs from 14 balls, and Virat Kohli got out for an eight-ball duck. The disappointing show by the two former Indian captains in the first ODI against Australia at Optus Stadium in Perth invited them sharp criticism from fans, but former Australian captain and legendary batter Ricky Ponting is not bothered by the forgetful outing in Perth.
The two-time ODI World Cup-winning team captain has backed Rohit and Kohli to bounce back. According to him, it will only be a matter of time before Rohit and Kohli are among the runs again, and that could come as soon as the next ODI against Australia in Adelaide.
“Finding your rhythm and tempo
is the biggest thing. When you’ve had a break, just getting back used to the rhythm and the tempo of the 50-over game again, it takes a little bit of time for anybody,” Ponting said on the most recent episode of The ICC Review.
“I’d expect to see both those guys bounce back into it pretty quickly.”
“As I said, Adelaide is a great place to bat and a great place to play cricket. But it won’t be easy for the fact that they are facing some of the best white-ball bowlers that have ever played the game. So, the challenge is definitely there.”
“But I say it all the time, you don’t write off champion players ever. And these two guys have been two of the best, and while I’m on record saying I think Virat’s the best 50-over player I’ve ever seen, you don’t write them off.”
“They’ll find a way to contribute and win games for their team, and if they do that, then they’ll most likely be in that World Cup team in 2027,” he added.
Kohli has some very fond memories of playing in Adelaide. He scored his maiden Test century at the Adelaide Oval in 2012, and on his Test captaincy debut as well at the same venue in December 2014, he scored twin centuries. In addition to that, he also scored a century in Adelaide during the 2015 ODI World Cup match against Pakistan.
