Hitman devises plan to counter Hazlewood

• Top order focus after India's loss; Rohit, Gill, Kohli aim to rebound in 2nd ODI.
• Hazlewood dismissed Rohit for 8 runs in the first ODI; Kohli seeks form after duck.
• Gambhir engages, players train despite rain; Rohit, Kohli out since IPL 2025.

The Indian top-order was in focus as the team trained at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday, ahead of the second ODI of the three-match series against Australia.

In India’s rain-curtailed series opener last week in Perth, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli scored just 18 runs collectively, all dismissed inside the powerplay in a seven-wicket loss.

Rain continued to be a concern during Tuesday’s session. According to RevSportz, the Indian team was initially expected to train indoors, but the ground staff quickly prepared the outdoor nets as soon as the rain cleared. With wet patches still posing a challenge, the fast bowlers kept it light. Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh bowled for just 15 minutes each to the top-order batters before joining Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna in the gym.

Rohit was the first batter to hit the nets, focusing on countering Josh Hazlewood’s hard-length deliveries. Hazlewood had dismissed him for eight runs in the first ODI. He was also seen sharing technical insights and discussing strategies with Gill.

Kohli, dismissed for an eight-ball duck by Mitchell Starc in Perth, channeled his frustration into a 45-minute high-intensity net session. After facing some warm-up deliveries, he asked the throwdown specialists to bowl at full intensity. He could be seen constantly talking to himself, pumping himself up throughout the session.

While it was not an entirely flawless session for Kohli, as he edged a few deliveries and mistimed some, he he maintained his composure and struck a few crisp drives and powerful pulls. Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir actively participated in the session, engaging with players and reviewing batting techniques. The Indian team is scheduled to have their final training session for the second ODI on Wednesday morning.

Both Rohit and Kohli will be eager to silence their critics with a strong batting performance in Adelaide. The Perth outing exposed some rustiness, as it was their first international match in seven months, with both players out of action since the conclusion of IPL 2025 in June.