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Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli fail in 1st ODI vs Australia: How Starc, Hazlewood exposed IND greats

Debashis Sarangi

Rohit and Kohli departed cheaply in 1st ODI [Source: AFP]Rohit and Kohli departed cheaply in 1st ODI [Source: AFP]

Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc emerged as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s nemesis, respectively, in the first ODI between India and Australia at Perth Stadium. After losing the toss and being put into bat first, India sent captain Shubman Gill to open the batting with his predecessor Rohit Sharma. However, while Gill took his time to get going, Rohit struck two glorious boundaries off Mitchell Starc before Josh Hazlewood sent him packing. On the other hand, Virat Kohli had an even more forgettable outing, getting dismissed by Mitchell Starc for an eight-ball duck. 

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli’s ODI comeback cut short by Hazlewood, Starc

Despite getting some movement off the pitch, Josh Hazlewood banged the ball at a slightly shorter length. As Rohit Sharma went to play a defensive shot, the ball flew off his outside edge, with Matt Renshaw taking a simple catch in the slips. 

Had Rohit Sharma scored two more runs, he would have become the first-ever Indian batter to complete 1000 runs against Australia on Australian soil. However, Josh Hazlewood proved too good for him, as the former Indian captain made his way back to the dugout with eight runs under his belt. 

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli fell prey to Mitchell Starc, who annoyed him by challenging him outside the off stump. After a few hits and misses, Kohli, in an attempt to dominate the Australian pacer, slashed the ball straight to the point, where Cooper Connolly grabbed a sharp catch. 

How did Josh Hazlewood trap Rohit Sharma?

Josh Hazlewood came up with a proper plan against Rohit Sharma. The pitch at Perth Stadium generally offers extra bounce. This is the reason why Hazlewood kept hitting the hard length, eventually extracting the extra bounce and inducing an outside edge off Rohit's bat. 

Hazlewood's length variations vs Rohit Sharma [Source: Screengrab]Hazlewood's length variations vs Rohit Sharma [Source: Screengrab]

As evidenced by the above pitch map, Hazlewood kept Rohit under the pump with his accuracy and hard-length (7-8m length) bowling. Right after making Rohit come forward with a good length delivery, Hazlewood pulled his length back, inducing an outside edge off his bat. 

Starc exposes Virat Kohli's woes outside the off stump yet again

Virat Kohli got out playing a poor shot without moving his feet [Source: Screengrab]Virat Kohli got out playing a poor shot without moving his feet [Source: Screengrab]

  • Talking about Virat Kohli, the legendary Indian batter couldn't even open his account, being dismissed for an eight-ball duck in the first ODI against Australia. From over the wicket, Australia's left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc tested Kohli's technique by pitching the ball up and moving it both ways. 
  • It was a test of Kohli's determination; however, unfortunately for India, the experienced campaigner finally succumbed to Starc's disciplined bowling, hitting the ball straight to Cooper Connolly. 
  • Although it was a full-length delivery, Starc hadn't bowled a half-volley. So, technically, the ball was not an ideal one to be driven. However, Kohli, who was prevented from opening his account with disciplined bowling and shrewd fielding placements, lost his focus and threw his wicket by slashing it to the point with hard hands and without moving his feet much. 

Rohit, Kohli hype vanished in seconds; Gill follows Indian greats to dressing room

With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returning to the ODI team, fans had expected a grand comeback from the talismanic duo. However, they collectively managed eight runs in 22 balls, while Shubman Gill also disappointed the visitors, scoring just 10 runs in his maiden outing as India's ODI captain.