AUS vs IND, 3rd ODI: India looks to avoid whitewash in potential Australian swansong of Rohit-Kohli

The emotional quotient will be at an all-time high, with a lot of fans — with moistened eyes — expected to witness an embattled Virat Kohli and his partner in many a fight, Rohit Sharma, playing in what could be their last appearance on Australian soil in the third ODI, here on Saturday.

While Rohit has rightfully earned some breathing space with a fighting 73 off 97 balls in the second ODI, albeit in a lost cause, Kohli’s back-to-back ducks — his first in international cricket — have made his die-hard fans contemplate whether this is the beginning of the end.

Kohli back to the pavilion after getting dismissed on consecutive ducks for the first time in his international career, in Adelaide, Australia.
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AP

Rohit first came here for the CB Series in 2007-08, while Kohli’s first tour with the senior team was in the 2011-12 season when he made an instant impact with a Test century at Adelaide.

With no ODI series in Australia in the next two years, the duo could potentially never be seen again Down Under in India blues.

Whether Kohli, in particular, continues to play after the Australia series is a matter of conjecture, but the final ODI at the iconic SCG will be more than a mere dead rubber.

In Sydney, fans would want to see those punchy cover drives, on-drives and the inside-out lofted shot over extra cover to come out of the closet from the modern-day legend.

Kohli in action in his first tour of Australia in the 2011-12 season at The Gabba in Brisbane, Australia.
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Getty Images

In the broader context, Gautam Gambhir-coached India will hope to avoid a 0-3 whitewash, which will certainly not look great, although the ODI World Cup is two years away.

To make matters worse, in the last five ODIs between India and Australia at the SCG, the ‘Men in Blue’ have won only once. Skipper Shubman Gill and Kohli are both due for a big knock, and Gambhir will expect both to fire in the final game.

Clinically outwitted in the last two games, a battered Indian side will be keen to revisit its template of shoring up the batting at the cost of compromising on bowling resources, especially ignoring a player like Kuldeep Yadav, who could have been more than a handful at the Adelaide Oval, where the Australian batters struggled to read Axar Patel and Washington Sundar.

From the first two games, the only takeaway has been Axar punching above his weight, improving as a batter and bowling steady overs.

Axar (centre) celebrates taking the wicket of Australia’s Matt Renshaw during the second ODI in Adelaide, Australia.
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AP

Australia, meanwhile, has started its two-year journey towards the next ODI World Cup in earnest. The likes of Matthew Short, Mitchell Owen and Cooper Connolly have displayed tactful smartness when it comes to planning and execution under pressure.

In the playing eleven, Matt Kuhnemann, who tormented India in the rain-curtailed opening game, might join forces with Adam Zampa.

Published on Oct 25, 2025