IND v AUS: Adelaide wicket raises hopes of Big Two firing again tomorrow

The obsession over Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has travelled from Perth to Adelaide – where the second of three-match ODI series, a send-off party from Down Under for the Big Two, is scheduled for 23 October, Thursday. The series is on the line, with the hosts up 1–0. Meanwhile, there are other selection issues — such as whether Kuldeep Yadav can get a nod into the Playing XI — which have been placed on the back burner for a while.

For now, it’s all about whether the two white-ball giants can come good in the remaining games under more genial batting conditions than Perth provided; the talk of their ‘survival’ until the 2027 World Cup can wait.

There has been a lot of noise since they failed on 19 October, Sunday, from the more obnoxious trolls to well-wishers' suggestions as to the need of the hour — but the common refrain has been for them to get in as much time in the middle as possible.

There is no substitute for practice, and the seasoned duo know it well, surely — but some have suggested that they should actually have been in the India A squad against the visiting Australians with some tightened security in Kanpur. However, staying in the present, reports from Oz suggest that Ro-Ko combination are sparing no efforts to get used to that feel of the ball hitting the middle of the bat in the nets.

Past records, including the last Border–Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, don’t count for much in the day-to-day; but it’s impossible to ignore Kohli’s exploits across formats at tomorrow’s venue.

It’s not for nothing that Adelaide is often dubbed Kohli’s ‘second home’, as the former India captain has amassed 975 runs there in just 12 international matches — the most by an Indian at that ground. From unforgettable centuries in Tests to fluent limited-overs knocks, Kohli’s bat has rarely gone silent in Adelaide.

Rohit Sharma’s track record, on the other hand, is strikingly different. In 12 matches and 15 innings across formats at Adelaide, he has managed only 287 runs — at a disappointing average of 19.13. This is the worst average among all Indian batters who have scored a minimum of 100 runs at the venue! In ODIs, which are considered Rohit’s domain, he has played six games and scored just 131 runs, at 21.83, with a highest score of 43.

His most recent outing in Adelaide during the 2025 BGT was a forgettable one, with scores of 3 and 6 in a pink-ball Test. Dismissed by Scott Boland and Pat Cummins, Rohit looked a pale shadow of his best red-ball self – which raised fresh questions about his longevity in top-flight cricket.

However, the ODI is a format where Rohit has historically flourished — and he is the only batter to have three double centuries there. Having worked on his fitness since his retirement from Tests and drawing confidence from his IPL form, he knows this five-match ODI window — the remaining two in Australia, followed by three at home against South Africa — could well be his last chance to show what he can still bring to the table.

It’s a different kind of pressure that both Kohli and Rohit are dealing with in the current context.

During their peak, the pair was under an obligation to do justice to their reputation. Now, unlike in the past, it could be more of an awkward feeling of blocking the path of youngsters – what with Indian cricket being blessed with a problem of plenty. The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, a part of this squad, and Tilak Varma – who did a brilliant job of anchoring the innings during the chase against Pakistan in the Asia Cup final – are waiting in the wings.

Can we, however, expect some post-Diwali fireworks from the bats of these two modern greats? Or will it be another damp squid out in Adelaide? We shall soon find out…

 Catch the Match

 Second ODI: Australia vs India

 Venue: Adelaide

 Time: 9 a.m. IST