Former India captain and coach Ravi Shastri spoke on the batting failures of veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the first ODI between Australia and India in Perth. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli made their India comeback after seven months, since the ICC Champions Trophy in March.
However, Rohit Sharma fell for 8 runs, and Virat Kohli was dismissed for an 8-ball duck, as India lost the first ODI. Rohit and Kohli have retired from Tests and T20Is in the last 18 months; thus, 50-over cricket is their sole format.
Much speculation surrounds whether the Indian greats will continue their careers till the next World Cup in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe in 2027, and whether their long layoff from international cricket impacted their form ahead of their return in Australia.
However, Shastri stated that Kohli and Rohit just need some time to get into the groove and expects the two to come good in the second ODI in Adelaide, which will be played on October 23.
"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 before a game in Perth and adjust to those conditions straight away, especially when you have that extra bounce and are against quality fast bowlers," Shastri said, as per the ICC website.
"But I think only time will tell. They'll go to Adelaide; they have some time off to get into the nets, get their minds sorted, and get back into action. So, 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 and passion is left in you to play the game," he added.
Shastri reminded everyone that both Kohli and Rohit still have class and experience and asked the fans to keep faith in the duo to come good.
"So, if you tick the boxes in two out of those three, especially the enjoyment part of it, then you can give them both time because 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 concluded.
