Don’t be surprised if Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli score big in the next two games: Sunil Gavaskar

Former Indian cricketer and commentator Sunil Gavaskar has backed the Indian talismanic batting duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to come back stronger after an early setback in the first ODI against Australia in Perth.

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Speaking exclusively to India Today, Gavaskar emphasized that both Kohli and Rohit are coming back to international cricket after a gap of seven months, and it will take some time for them to adjust to international cricket. He also added that India got the bounciest pitch in Australia, making life tough for their batters.

"They were playing on probably the bounciest pitch in Australia. It wasn’t going to be easy, especially for players who haven’t played international cricket for a couple of months. It was challenging for Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, who usually play international cricket quite regularly," Gavaskar said to India Today. 

"India is still a very, very good team. They’ve won the Champions Trophy. Don’t be surprised if Rohit and Kohli score big in the next two games. They are coming back after a few months away from international cricket,” he added.

“The more they play, the more time they spend in the nets, the more throwdowns they get — maybe even from the reserve bowlers bowling at them from 20 yards instead of 22 — the quicker they’ll find their rhythm. Once they’re back among the runs, India’s total will be 300, 300-plus," he concluded. 

For the unversed, Virat Kohli has an exceptional ODI record at the Adelaide Oval, where India will lock horns with the Aussies in the second ODI on Thursday, October 23. In four ODIs, Kohli has amassed 244 runs at an average of 61, including two centuries at this venue. On the other hand, Rohit accumulated 131 runs from six games at an average of 21.83.

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