Before rain began to dampen Indian spirits during the Perth ODI against Australia, fans were already deflated. They hadn’t woken up early on the eve of Diwali — or paid for tickets — to watch their favourites, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, fall cheaply on their much-awaited return to international cricket.
There was considerable buzz around this ODI series — a rarity these days — as Rohit and Kohli returned to competitive cricket after nearly four months. It marked the beginning of the last dash of their glorious careers, and the mood was a mix of anticipation and anxiety as fans waited to see the two in blue again.
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Few expected the veterans to explode from the outset, given their lack of match practice after retiring from Tests and T20Is. Yet, one hoped they would spend some time in the middle and rediscover their rhythm.
Instead, Rohit lasted just 14 balls for 8 runs in a scratchy stay, while Kohli fared worse — dismissed for his first ODI duck in Australia after only eight deliverie
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