While Rohit was dismissed for 8, Kohli bagged a duck in the first ODI against Australia.
Indian batting stalwarts, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, failed to make a mark on their much-hype return to international cricket after seven months on Sunday (October 19).
Featuring in the first ODI against Australia at Perth, Rohit was dismissed for only 8 runs while Kohli bagged his first duck in the 50-over format Down Under.
Rohit’s 14-ball stay in the middle was ended by Josh Hazlewood during the fourth over. The veteran opener edged a delivery to second slip, where Matt Renshaw took an easy catch.
Sharma’s dismissal led to Kohli’s arrival at the crease, and the latter failed to trouble the scorers despite facing eight deliveries.
Australia’s left-arm quick Mitchell Starc got the better of Kohli, who perished once again while chasing a big drive away from his body. The thick outside edge of his bat flew to backward point, where Cooper Connolly grabbed an excellent acrobatic catch.
Reflecting on their failures, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin suggested that Rohit and Kohli's lack of match practice was exposed in the series opener.
"For their good, I think they can focus a bit more on preparation, especially in terms of playing games before going on tours. But that is not entirely in the hands of the players - it needs to be planned by the team management. It's too early to talk about Virat and Rohit because there are a few more games. My only worry for them is: can they get more game time?" Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
He further highlighted the challenges the veteran campaigners are bound to face going forward.
"It is not going to be easy for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. I really hope they get some kind of flow because they haven't played any cricket recently. They practised separately and then came for this tour," Ashwin stated.
"I've said this before as well - it's going to be incredibly tough for both of them. If they are to walk this path for the next two years, they will have done tremendously well."
Ashwin stressed the importance of planning when it comes to international tours. "If you are going on an international tour, planning is necessary. We've often travelled overseas 10-15 days before the series begins, travelling in 2-3 batches. That definitely can be done," he remarked.
Ashwin also commented on Kohli's approach to fitness and the importance of hand-eye coordination for batting.
"I saw Virat's interview where he spoke about maintaining fitness - and yes, that is a very important facet. But hand-eye coordination, which is so important for batting, cannot be ignored. Knowing Virat, he must have worked on that, but you have to be at the top of your game - especially as you get older, and especially when you're playing only one format. It was lovely to see Rohit looking really, really fit."