After two consecutive ducks in Perth and Adelaide, Virat Kohli finally roared back to form in the third ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), scoring a fluent half-century and forming a century stand with Rohit Sharma to guide India to victory.
Speaking after the game, Kohli opened up about the challenges of bouncing back and his mindset while chasing:
“You might’ve played international cricket for a long time, but the game shows you ways,” Kohli said with a smile. “Almost 37 (years old) in the next few days, but chasing always brings the best out of me. Nice to have a big match-winning partnership (with Rohit).”
The star batter, who now has over 14,235 ODI runs, also spoke about the understanding and chemistry he shares with Rohit, recalling their first big partnership back in 2013 against Australia.
“From early on, we’ve understood the situation well, that’s what we’ve always done (as a pair). We’re probably the most experienced pair now, but back in the day when we were young, we knew we could take the game away with big partnerships. I think it all started in 2013, and we’ve loved coming to this country — we’ve played some good cricket here.”
The crowd at the SCG gave Kohli a standing ovation as he raised his bat — a sign of both respect and relief after a difficult start to the series. With emotions running high, fans couldn’t help but wonder if this was the last time the iconic Kohli-Rohit duo would grace Australian soil together in Indian colours.
Kohli’s words, full of nostalgia and gratitude, perfectly summed up an evening that felt less like a match and more like the celebration of an era.
