Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli buy time with Sydney super show

Bengaluru: Rarely have two cricketers with over 10,000 ODI runs each faced such intense scrutiny before a series. It felt as though they were on trial without anyone saying in as many words. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, inarguably two of the greatest one-day players of their generation, came into this contest with impressive recent credentials. In their previous ODI tournament, Kohli had been named Player of the Match in the semifinal against Australia, while Rohit, besides being the captain, earned the same honour in the final of the Champions Trophy against New Zealand during India’s triumphant campaign earlier this March in the UAE.

But, in modern cricket, past glories fade fast. The game today isn’t merely about your previous outing or just the next series; it’s about continuity and planning for the long road between World Cups. The oft-repeated mantra of “taking it one game at a time” doesn't fit the narrative when a team is trying to build its nucleus for the next cycle. The question, therefore, loomed: Could Rohit, who will turn 40, and Kohli, just a year younger, still form the nucleus of India’s ODI side by the time the next World Cup rolls around in Africa next year?

For anyone who saw them in action, doubts about their fitness or hunger would have vanished. Kohli’s energy in the field was as intense while Rohit, leaner and sharper than before, looked equally committed. Their partnership in Sydney rekindled memories of their prime years, when no target was insurmountable for them. Their stroke play proved that advancing years hadn’t slowed their reflexes.

Still, the challenge was immense. Both veterans, now retired from Tests and T20Is, were returning to ODI cricket after a considerable break. Their task was made no easier by the opposition or the conditions. Mind you, Australia, in Australia, remains the sternest test in the sport; even for players who have scored mountains of runs Down Under.

Kohli clearly appeared out of his depth in the first two ODIs, picking up two ducks. Rohit, after the early dismissal in Perth, came up with a battling half-century in Adelaide but another early exit in the third would have given enough fodder to question his continuity especially when a talent-mine like Yashasvi Jaiswal is warming the bench, and who can be a perfect foil for skipper Shubman Gill with his left-handed option at the top of the order.

They may not have been left out for the next ODI series against South Africa at home even if they had come up short of expectations in Sydney, but it would have been hard for the selectors to explain, which they rarely do, their decision to persist with them.

The team management and the selectors would have heaved a collective sigh of relief after the duo produced a match-winning stand in the final ODI. Not only did it save India from a whitewash but also briefly silenced the whispers about their future.

But have those doubts truly been dispelled? Not really. That’s the unique challenge facing single-format players who spend months away from international competition. Rust creeps in and motivation can waver without consistent match time. At the same time, neither player has shown any particular interest in playing domestic cricket even when they are fit and free of any commitments. Gill also spoke after the series about finding ways to give both senior players more game-time following the South Africa tour, which begins on November 30. Finding game-time is challenging but it's crucial.  

That being said, after their sudden and rather subdued exits from Test cricket earlier this year, both Kohli and Rohit would dearly love to script a fitting finale to their illustrious careers. The dream is clear -- to lift the 2027 World Cup and walk away as champions one last time. Their desire and discipline have never been in question, yet they also understand that every series from here on will be a test of form, fitness and their resolve.