Rough Return Down Under: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli Flop in Comeback Game
Perth, October 19: Indian captain Rohit Sharma and star batsman Virat Kohli endured a harsh welcome back to Test cricket on Australian soil, both registering ducks in their first competitive outing since a three-month hiatus. The duo’s dismal performances contributed to India’s collapse to 150 all out on the opening day of the first Test against Australia at Optus Stadium, placing the visitors in a precarious position at stumps with Australia on 42 for no loss.
Rohit, absent since the home series against England in March due to personal reasons and a subsequent break, won the toss and opted to bat on a pitch offering seamers early assistance under overcast conditions. His decision backfired swiftly as he fell for a golden duck, trapped lbw by pacer Josh Hazlewood on the third ball of the innings. The 37-year-old edged a tentative prod at a full delivery, with the ball thudding into his pads before Hazlewood’s vociferous appeal was upheld by on-field umpire Paul Reiffel. The decision stood firm upon review, leaving Rohit ruing a nightmare start to what was meant to be a redemption tour.
Kohli, returning after missing the limited-overs white-ball series in Sri Lanka last month for family commitments, fared no better, dismissed for nought off Mitchell Starc’s second delivery in the second over. The 36-year-old, aiming to rediscover his Test form after a lean run of late, played down the wrong line to a swinging inswinger and had his middle stump rattled. It marked Kohli’s fourth duck in his last 10 Test innings, underscoring ongoing struggles in the longer format that have dogged him since the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
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The early blows set a tone of fragility for India, who lost wickets in clusters against a relentless Australian attack. Hazlewood (4-48) and Starc (3-39) exploited the conditions masterfully, while spinner Nathan Lyon chipped in with 2-33. Only Nitish Kumar Reddy (41) and Jasprit Bumrah (36 not out) offered resistance in the lower order, but it proved insufficient to avert a subpar total.
Australia’s openers, Usman Khawaja (18) and Nathan McSweeney (22), negotiated the new ball steadily in reply, extending their unbeaten partnership to 42 by the close. With the series opener hanging in the balance, India will require a sharp turnaround on day two to claw back momentum in this high-stakes contest for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The flop underscored broader concerns for India’s batting unit ahead of a demanding five-Test campaign. Sharma’s absence had seen him skip the recent home ODIs against New Zealand, while Kohli’s extended break followed the birth of his second child. Both players, pivotal to India’s 2020-21 triumph Down Under, now face immediate pressure to regroup amid a backdrop of transitional flux, including the integration of uncapped talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan at the top.
Commentators, including former Australian quick Brett Lee on Fox Sports, highlighted the psychological toll of such a rude awakening. “It’s a brutal way to return, but Test cricket in Australia doesn’t hand out second chances,” Lee observed. India’s bowlers, led by Bumrah, will need to strike early tomorrow to mitigate the damage from a batting meltdown that evoked memories of past tours’ opening-day woes.