“You are obviously going to be rusty” - Former India coach’s blunt take on Kohli & Rohit after AUS vs IND 2025 1st ODI

Former India coach Ravi Shastri defended Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's poor returns upon their international return during the first ODI against Australia at the Optus Stadium on Sunday, October 19. The veteran pair failed to record double figures as they were dismissed early in the rain-curtailed seven-wicket loss against Mitchell Marsh and co.

Rohit Sharma showed signs of promise with an early boundary after India were put into bat first in Shubman Gill's first contest as ODI captain. However, the explosive opening batter was caught in the slip cordon soon after, courtesy of a rising delivery by Josh Hazlewood in the fourth over.

Virat Kohli, on the other hand, was boxed in by the Australian seamers and fielders in the circle as he struggled to get off the mark. The ace batter eventually perished for an eight-ball duck after being caught by Cooper Connolly at point off Mitchell Starc's bowling.

Ravi Shastri opined that the experienced duo had to deal with a tough hand in their very first game after a lengthy layoff, in terms of conditions and circumstances.

"I mean, they came back, they got caught on a dodgy pitch. It was a good toss to win for Australia and then the weather was such that it was not easy. When you come back from a long layoff, you are obviously going to be rusty," the former coach said on ICC Review ahead of the second ODI.

"It's not easy for any overseas team to land in Australia, say, two days prior to a game in Perth and adjust to those conditions straight away, especially when you have that extra bounce and against quality fast bowlers. 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," he added.

Shastri cited hunger and passion as vital factors in the final stage of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's careers, while adding that he would not be inclined to make a rushed judgment based on their solitary outing since return so far.

"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 is there and passion is left in you to play the game. 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 further elaborated.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be in action soon during the second ODI against Australia at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday, October 23. The hosts have a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

"He's brutal on himself at times" - Ravi Shastri on workload and high expectations driving Virat Kohli into an early Test retirement

ODI cricket is now Virat Kohli's sole focus after his retirements from T20I and Test cricket. He retired from the shortest format right after the 2024 T20 World Cup, while his shocking decision to step away from red-ball cricket came midway during the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign, ahead of the England tour.

Ravi Shastri reflected on how the former skipper was harsh on himself amid a hectic workload, which eventually led to the decision of retiring from Test cricket.

"Virat Kohli does not leave any stone unturned when it comes to preparation. He's brutal on himself at times, and that might have taken its toll over a span of time, that stretches back to 14-16 years of cricket. Then that enjoyment factor, that hunger factor, the same focus doesn't exist. He does not have the appetite to put in the same amount of work day in day out and hence, that might have prompted him the decision (to retire), right or wrong, only time will tell," Shastri said.

Virat Kohli ended his Test career with 9230 runs in 123 Tests at an average of 46.85. His final appearance in the format came during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar series finale at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).