Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli love batting in Australia — here’s what makes them so effective down under.
Rohit Sharma is India’s second leading run-getter in ODIs in Australia with 1328 runs in 30 innings. He has enjoyed an average of 53.12 and a strike rate of 90.58 with four fifties and five centuries at the best score of unbeaten 171 runs. Out of these, 990 runs have come against Australia in just 19 innings. His average rises to 58.23 with a strike rate of nearly 91 against the Kangaroos. It just shows how the veteran’s game plan suits the conditions down under.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli is third on the list of most ODI runs for India down under. The right-handed batter has collected 1327 runs in 29 innings at an average of 51.03. He has notched up five centuries and six half-centuries at the best score of an undefeated 133 runs against Sri Lanka at Hobart in 2012.
However, his average drops to 47.17 when he faces Australia in Australia. In 18 innings against them down under, Kohli has recorded 802 runs at a strike rate of 88.71, scoring four fifties and three centuries.
Both the former captains are back in those challenging conditions, perhaps for one last time.
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Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s superb ODI record and memorable centuries in Australia
Overall, Kohli is the second-highest run-getter in ODIs against Australia. His 2451 runs in 48 innings at an average of 54.46 with eight centuries and 15 fifties are just behind Sachin Tendulkar’s 3077 runs. Sharma comes in at the third position on the list with 2407 runs in 46 innings at an average of 57.30. The Nagpur-born has registered eight centuries and nine fifties in these encounters.
The T20 World Cup-winning captain is the second leading run-getter for India against Australia down under in chases. His 520 runs in 13 innings have come at an average of 43.33 with two fifties and one century.
Kohli, meanwhile, has bagged 460 runs in 12 innings at an average of 38.33 in that category. His two ODI centuries are the joint-most along with Brian Lara against Australia in chases down under.
Both Rohit and Kohli will be back in the national side for the first time since the Champions Trophy 2025 final in Dubai. It won’t be easy for the duo to find rhythm with the bat straightaway. But Australia could perhaps be the place they would wish to play in.
Kohli first showed chasing skill in these conditions 13 years ago when he clubbed 133 runs against Sri Lanka in Hobart. Two years later, during the ODI World Cup 2015, he timed a perfect century against Pakistan in Adelaide.
One can never forget his textbook century at the MCG in the following year. Even in 2019, his magnificently crafted calm knock of 104 runs in 112 balls completed India’s chase.
Rohit also showed the same ODI temperament with the bat down under. The Mumbai batter celebrated a memorable 137-run knock against Bangladesh during the 2015 World Cup quarter-final. Before the event, he smashed 138 against Australia at the MCG during the tri-series involving England. In 2019, the experienced campaigner hammered 133 runs in Sydney.
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Rohit Sharma’s technique and Virat Kohli’s love to accept challenges
Rohit’s trademark pull shots makes him an incredibly strong batter against the short deliveries. Australia’s bouncy surfaces help him play these shots regularly. The 38-year-old can wait on the back foot and time the pull shot over the square leg for either a boundary or a six.
If the line is outside the off-stump, he can go over the point region. It’s the right environment for scoring runs around the ground.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli loves rotating the strike as most of the grounds in Australia are huge in dimension. This helps the batter to keep taking twos and threes, which automatically releases the pressure of getting a boundary in an intense moment. On the other hand, Australia offer a fierce challenge to any opposition. This is what Kohli uses as an energy to score truckloads of runs down under.
Rohit has enjoyed batting against Mitchell Starc down under in ODIs. He has thumped the left-arm pacer for 48 runs in 51 balls, besides getting dismissed only once. Kohli has smashed Starc for an unbeaten 28 runs in 30 balls in Australia.
Against Josh Hazlewood, Kohli has struggled a lot. The right-arm pacer has dismissed the batter thrice in Australia, besides giving away only 21 runs in 42 balls. It’s nearly the same case with Rohit, who has only 38 runs in 54 balls against the New South Wales pacer.
This time, the challenge will be intense for both these batters. They are coming back to competitive cricket after more than four months and to ODI cricket after six months.
Can they find the same rhythm with the bat? Do they have the same hunger? There are speculations of them potentially retiring in the near future. But they have proved themselves many times. This could be one of those. And what can be better than to excel against Australia in Australia?
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