Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has backed Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to shake off their rustiness in the IND vs AUS ODIs. Rohit and Kohli managed single digit scores in the 1st ODI which India conceded by 7 wickets. The duo looked out of rhythm and struggled against Australia’s quality, further fueling rumours on their future.
‘Not enough time to adjust’ Shastri defends RoKo after Perth failure
Ravi Shastri has launched into a staunch defence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma after their failures in the 1st ODI. The former India head coach called for patience given their lack of game time in recent months. The duo last featured in competitive cricket during the IPL 2025. India touched down in Perth just 3 days before the 1st ODI, meaning there was limited time to judge the conditions.
“When you come back from a long layoff, you are obviously going to be rusty. It’s not easy for any overseas team to land in Australia, say, two days prior to a game in Perth and adjust to those conditions straight away, especially when you have that extra bounce and against quality fast bowlers,” Shastri told ICC Review.
Shastri said he was in no hurry to judge and believed the India veterans need to enjoy their game a bit more.
“I’m in no hurry to judge, but it’s when you come back at that age, after some time, it’s about how much you’re enjoying the sport and how much hunger is there and passion is left in you to play the game. They’ve got class, they’ve got experience and a little bit of time will sort things out. But I’d rather wait than jump and judge immediately,” he added.
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