Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli produced a batting masterclass in Sydney, guiding India to a dominant nine-wicket win over Australia in the third ODI. Chasing 237, the experienced duo stitched together a match-winning stand that sealed India’s first ODI victory at the venue since 2016 – a fitting result to conclude what could be their final tour Down Under.
Continuing his sublime touch from Adelaide, Rohit Sharma was flawless at the crease, scoring his 33rd ODI century in an effortless, chanceless knock. His ton further cemented his place among the game’s greats, ranking third in all-time ODI centuries behind only Virat Kohli (51) and Sachin Tendulkar (49).
“I’ve always loved coming here and playing cricket at this venue,” Rohit said post-match. “It brings back nice memories of 2008 – my first tour of Australia. Don’t know if we’ll come back again (as players), but I’ve enjoyed every bit of it.”
After back-to-back ducks in the first two ODIs, Kohli bounced back in trademark style with an unbeaten 74. His composed innings also saw him surpass Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer in Men’s ODI history, now standing at 14,255 runs from 305 matches – behind only Sachin Tendulkar.
“Good to be out of the pond, honestly,” Kohli smiled. “You might’ve played for years, but the game keeps humbling you. I’m almost 37, but chasing still brings out my best. It was great to have a big, match-winning partnership with Rohit again.”
Reflecting on their long-standing chemistry, Kohli added, “We’ve understood situations well from early on. Back in 2013, we realised that if we batted deep, we could take the game away from any team – and that belief has stayed with us.”
Earlier, India’s young pacer Harshit Rana set the tone with a brilliant spell of 4/39 as Australia were restricted to 236. His accuracy and aggression provided the perfect platform for India’s seasoned batters to finish the job.
Although Australia had already secured the series 2–1 with wins in Perth and Adelaide, India’s emphatic triumph in Sydney offered a morale-boosting finale. The Men in Blue now turn their focus to the upcoming five-match T20I series, starting October 29, where they’ll aim to carry forward their winning momentum.
(Tamil Craze)
