Follow UsBoth Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma returned to the Indian set-up for the first time since March. While Rohit scored eight, Kohli was dismissed for a duck in the first ODI in Perth. It was a familiar sight as Kohli was dismissed once again, poking at a ball well outside off to get caught at point. He was dismissed similarly during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), where he was also caught behind, or in the slip cordon or even at gully.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan did not hold back on his assessment of the duo following their cheap dismissals in the first ODI in Perth.
"Fitness is one thing, and game time is one thing. That is why Rohit looked a bit troubled. It looked like the demons of the BGT were back for Virat. I hope this is not the case in Adelaide and Sydney. KL Rahul batted well today. Shreyas Iyer got into an awkward position. Maybe he can work a bit more on his technique. Axar does well whenever he gets an opportunity to bat ahead," Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
Pathan also emphasised the need for teams to play some warm-up matches ahead of the series to get used to the conditions.
"Whenever you tour such countries, it is always better to go early and play some games. It was going to be difficult for India. It was going to be a challenge as the conditions would not be easy. Our bowlers could not get the right lengths. The batters also had trouble with the bounce. If you had played a game or two, these mistakes would not have happened. It is important to think about these things going forward," he added.
Australia have taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match series with a seven-wicket victory in the rain-interrupted match in Perth. The action now shifts to Adelaide for the second ODI on October 23 (Thursday).