India cricket team batting coach Sitanshu Kotak refused to label Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as rusty after their flop show in the IND vs AUS 1st ODI in Perth. The duo, who returned to international cricket for the first time since Champions Trophy 2025, were dismissed for 8 and 0 respectively. Ahead of the IND vs AUS 2nd ODI in Adelaide, Kotak came up with a bizarre explanation for the failure of Rohit and Kohli in Perth.
Weather reason behind Ro-Ko’s failures?
Addressing a press conference ahead of the 2nd ODI, India’s batting coach blamed the weather for the poor shows put up by Sharma and Virat. He said that it was never easy to bat in a game that was interrupted by rain several times, adding that it would have been the same for Australian batters had they batted first. Kotak claimed that both Rohit and Virat had prepared well for the series.
“I do not think so. They played the IPL. The preparation has been very good. I think it was the weather. It would have been the same if Australia had come out to bat first. It is not easy when there are four or five interruptions and every two overs you are going in and coming back out,” Kotak said.
Following their flop shows in Perth, both Rohit and Kohli sweated it out in the nets before the Adelaide game. Sharma batted for nearly an hour on Tuesday while Virat batted for 45 minutes. Kotak backed the experieced duo to regain their form and said that it was too early to judge them.
“Both of them are very experienced. Before coming to Australia, they had proper preparation. I think it is too early to judge them. They just retired from Test cricket. Coming into the series, we were aware of their fitness levels and the preparation work they had been doing. We had access to their videos from the NCA. With such senior players, you do not need to step in right away if you see they are doing the right things. If you try to get involved too much, that might not be the best approach,” Kotak said.
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