Australian all-rounder Matt Short believes both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma would have been devastated to walk off without scoring much in the first ODI at Optus Stadium in Perth. The spin-bowling all-rounder was particularly impressed by the huge reception both Indian batters—especially Kohli—received while walking out to bat.
The excitement was sky-high even before the series began, as the prolific duo were making their return to Indian colors for the first time since March. Nevertheless, both perished without troubling the scorers, and India’s overall batting unit also struggled. The Men in Blue eventually lost the rain-affected contest by seven wickets, allowing Australia to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the second ODI in Adelaide, Short expressed his eagerness to speak with Kohli at some stage during the series, calling it a privilege to share the field with such legends.
> “It’s pretty cool to share the field with such a legend of the sport. I’ll definitely get the chance to have a chat with him at some stage throughout the series. But it’s going to be a cool way for him to go out, especially with so many fans here in Australia,” Short said, as quoted by Perth Now.
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> “When Rohit or (Shubman) Gill got out the other day (in Perth), and then Kohli came on, just the cheer when he was walking on—you’d feel pretty bad as the batter walking off. It’s just an amazing experience.”
Kohli and Rohit will be eager to make a strong comeback in Adelaide to help the tourists level the series. Interestingly, Kohli had scored a match-winning century the last time India faced Australia in an ODI in Adelaide.
### Australia’s Plans Against Virat Kohli
In the same interview, Short revealed that Australia hopes the conditions in Adelaide will favor their fast bowlers, aiding their plan of bowling wide of off-stump to Kohli.
> “I’m not in the fast bowling meetings, but that seems to be the way he has been getting out recently. Some of the guys like Hoff (Josh Hazlewood) and Starcy (Mitchell Starc), they have bowled a lot against him—they know what they’re doing,” Short explained.
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> “In Perth, they sort of let the conditions do all the work, with a bit of swing and nip on the wicket, so I’m sure they’ll do the same again.”
Notably, the match in Perth was only the second time in ODIs that Starc managed to dismiss Kohli.
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*Aayushman Vishwanathan*
Aayushman is a cricket journalist at Sportskeeda covering news, features, and listicles. A finance graduate with a diploma in journalism, he has around seven years of work experience and has written for reputed websites like Free Press Journal, Cricket Addictor, and Roar.
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