“They can focus a bit more on preparation” - Former India cricketer’s blunt criticism of Kohli & Rohit after AUS vs IND 2025 1st ODI

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin feels that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should be more prepared before taking on challenging assignments at this stage of their careers. The legendary pair struggled immensely in their international comeback during the first ODI against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth, on Sunday, October 19.

Featuring in their first-ever fixture since the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli appeared rusty, and perished for 8 and 0, respectively, after being put into bat first by Australia. The opening batter was undone by a rising delivery by Josh Hazlewood, while the No.3 batter struggled to get off the mark during his eight-ball stay, before being dismissed by Mitchell Starc.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma did not have avenues during the lead-up to the tour where they could avail themselves of some game time, following their retirements from T20Is and Tests. Reports suggested that they could potentially be involved in the India 'A' home List A series against Australia 'A', but their names were not featured in the official squad.

Ashwin opined that if the pair intend to last until the 2027 ODI World Cup, they will have to pay more attention to preparation before the bilateral series.

"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 players, it needs to be planned by the team management. This is 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 after the first ODI between India and Australia.

Ashwin also explored the idea of Rohit and Kohli, among other players, not involved in international assignments, to arrive early to prepare for tours.

"It is not going to be easy for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. I really hope they get some kind of flow, because they have not played any cricket recently. If you are going on an international tour, planning is necessary. We have often travelled overseas 10-15 days before the series begins, travelled in 2-3 batches, so that definitely can be done," he added.

The Indian team left from Delhi in two batches after the second Test against the West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. They endured logistical issues courtesy of a delayed flight, and arrived in Perth early in the morning, which affected their first training session.

"You cannot ignore that" - R Ashwin on the need for Rohit and Kohli to focus on more than just fitness amid IND vs AUS 2025 ODIs

Prior to the first ODI, Virat Kohli mentioned to former players Adam Gilchrist and Ravi Shastri in an interview that he is at the peak of his fitness despite the prolonged period away from the game.

While Ashwin applauded the work that both veterans have put in to maintain their fitness, he raised the point about reflexes and hand-eye coordination, which can only be improved with game time.

"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, you cannot ignore that. Knowing Virat, he must have worked on that, but you have to be at the top of your game, especially when you are getting older, especially when you are playing only one format. It was lovely to see Rohit looking really, really fit," Ashwin stated.

The legendary pair will be in action soon during the second ODI of the series, scheduled to be held at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday, October 23.