India’s star batter Virat Kohli failed to make a mark on his much-awaited comeback to international cricket after seven months on Sunday (October 19).
Featuring in the first ODI against Australia at Perth, Kohli bagged his first duck in the 50-over format Down Under.
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.
Ahead of the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday (October 23), Australian batter Matthew Short has issued a warning to Virat Kohli, saying that his team's pacers will continue to exploit the Indian stalwart’s weakness outside off-stump.
"I'm not in the fast-bowling meetings, but that seems to be the way he has been getting out recently," Short told reporters.
"Some of the guys like 'Hoff' (Josh Hazlewood) and 'Starcy' (Mitchell Starc), they have bowled a lot against him, they know what they're doing. In Perth they sort of let the conditions do all the work, a bit of swing and nip on the wicket, so I'm sure they'll do the same again."
India had overwhelming crowd support at the Optus Stadium as most of the fans turned up to watch Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who have one-format players after retiring from T20Is and Tests.
"When Rohit or (Shubman) Gill got out the other day (in Perth), and then Kohli came on, just the cheer when he was walking on—you'd feel pretty bad as the batter walking off. It's just an amazing experience," Short added.
Having lost the rain-marred first ODI by seven wickets, India trail the three-match series 0–1, making Thursday's match in Adelaide a must-win to stay alive.
"But it's going to be a cool way for him to go out, especially with so many fans here in Australia," Short said, as he hoped to make the most of sharing the field with the Indian legends.
"It's pretty cool to share the field with such a legend of the sport," he said. "I'll definitely get the chance to have a chat to him at some stage throughout the series."
For players like Short, this white-ball series holds significance ahead of the 2027 World Cup in South Africa. Having made his debut against India in 2023, the right-hander has fought injuries and fluctuating roles—from No. 8 on debut to No. 3 in the current series—and is still searching for form.
"It's been frustrating... I still feel like I'm moving well. I'm feeling good out in the middle," Short said. "Just haven't got the runs on the board. But hopefully they come soon. It's been a frustrating year in terms of getting that continuous cricket."
The 29-year-old said he's flexible about his batting position. "It's always going to be tough to get a spot in the XI and I'll sort of take whatever that is, whether it's opening, batting at three or wherever. It's just (about) staying flexible and trying to bat wherever you're put and be able to take that," he said.
"Especially the last few years, I'm so used to opening the batting and batting in that top order, but batting at three is not too dissimilar.
"But if it was to come through the middle, you'd probably need to prep a bit for that, but it's something I've done before in the past. If that came to happen, I'd definitely take it."
(With PTI Inputs)
