Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma lit up the SCG with a memorable performance, preventing Australia from securing a series whitewash on Saturday, October 25. Rohit reached the milestone of his 50th international century, while Kohli surpassed Kumar Sangakkara to move into second place on the all-time ODI run-scorers list. The duo put together their first 100-run partnership in any format since January 2020, ensuring India avoided a 3-0 series loss. Earlier, Harshit Rana led the bowling effort with four wickets, helping dismiss Australia for just 237 despite Matthew Renshaw’s maiden ODI half-century, as the rest of the hosts’ batting lineup struggled.
Bowlers restrict Australia under 250
Mitchell Marsh opted to bat first for only the second time in his 27 ODIs as captain, recalling the last instance when Australia piled up 431/2 against South Africa in August. Marsh and Travis Head faced the new-ball trio of Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna—who replaced Arshdeep Singh—for a brisk start in the PowerPlay. However, in the 10th over, Siraj halted Head’s charge soon after he completed 3000 ODI runs, as the left-hander’s attempted cut went straight to Krishna at backward point. The scoring tempo dipped slightly from there, though Marsh tried to unsettle Kuldeep Yadav with two boundaries before Axar Patel struck after the drinks break, bowling the Australian skipper for 41 with one that angled in from round the wicket.
Renshaw then combined with Matthew Short to rebuild the innings, but the Indian spinners tightened their grip. Washington Sundar and Axar Patel kept things quiet, forcing Short into a false shot. Trying to sweep a delivery outside off, he ended up lofting the ball to Kohli, who reacted sharply to complete a safe catch. With wickets falling, Renshaw was joined by Alex Carey, but the pressure from spin persisted, slowing the scoring rate even more. Carey nearly fell early when he lofted Kuldeep Yadav to long-on, but Krishna dropped a straightforward catch, giving the keeper-batter a brief reprieve.
The breakthrough eventually came in the 34th over when Shreyas Iyer pulled off an outstanding catch to dismiss Carey. Sprinting back from backward point, he dived full-length to complete the grab, injuring his left rib cage during the fall and having to leave the field. The BCCI later confirmed that Iyer was taken to a hospital for further evaluation. Around that time, Renshaw completed his maiden ODI half-century, offering some stability to the innings before his dismissal a short while later.
Sundar trapped Renshaw leg-before after the left-hander misjudged a charge down the track, triggering a slide through Australia’s lower order. Harshit Rana and Kuldeep Yadav soon removed Mitch Owen and Mitchell Starc in consecutive overs, reducing the hosts to 201/7. The last few batters didn’t last long as Krishna and Rana wrapped up the Australian innings by the 47th over, capping off a disciplined Indian bowling performance.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma lead the charge
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill gave India a commanding start in their chase, cruising through the PowerPlay at 68 without loss. However, on the very first delivery of the 11th over, Gill edged a delivery from Josh Hazlewood to the keeper, bringing Virat Kohli to the crease amid loud cheers from the crowd. Virat Kohli playfully celebrated after getting off the mark, ending his brief streak of ducks. Although Hazlewood initially posed a few problems and even drew a mistimed top edge from Virat Kohli, the Indian batter soon settled in. From there, he and Rohit batted fluently, keeping the scoreboard ticking and steering India towards a comfortable position.
Rohit looked in fine rhythm, reaching his 60th ODI fifty in the 21st over as the pair continued to dominate Australia’s attack. Nathan Ellis nearly provided a breakthrough when the Aussies reviewed an LBW call against Virat Kohli, but the umpire’s call went in the batter’s favor. Rohit then shifted gears, attacking Cooper Connelly and Adam Zampa to accelerate the scoring rate. Virat Kohli too grew in confidence, bringing up his 75th ODI half-century soon after, and together they raised their 19th century stand—their first in over five years across formats.
Virat Kohli’s milestone-laden innings saw him overtake Kumar Sangakkara’s ODI career tally with his 14,235th run in the 32nd over, while Rohit reached his 33rd ODI century an over later. The Indian skipper showcased his dominance by striking a six and a four off Matthew Short, and Virat Kohli completed the formalities by ramping a short delivery from Ellis to the boundary in the 39th over. The duo’s unbroken partnership powered India to a resounding nine-wicket victory, sealing a perfect finish to the series finale.
Scorecard: Australia 236 in 46.4 overs (Matt Renshaw 56, Mitchell Marsh 41; Harshit Rana 4-39, Washington Sundar 2-44) lost to India 237/1 in 38.3 overs (Rohit Sharma 121*, Virat Kohli 74*) by 9 wickets