AUS vs IND 2025: "They were playing on the bounciest pitch in Australia" - Former India captain defends Kohli, Rohit after Perth debacle

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar shared his views on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma failing to get among the runs in the first ODI against Australia at Perth Stadium on Sunday, October 19. The two veterans were making their return to international cricket for the first time since the Champions Trophy final in March 2025.

While Rohit made eight off 14 balls, Kohli failed to open his account after facing eight deliveries. They were dismissed by Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, respectively. India lost the match by seven wickets, failing to defend a DLS-revised 131-run target. The match was reduced to 26 overs per side after multiple rain breaks.

While a section of the cricket fraternity started criticising the star duo after the debacle in the first ODI, Gavaskar decided to cut some slack. The cricketer-turned-commentator said that the conditions were not easy for batting, and the likes of Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, who have been playing international cricket more often in recent times than the stalwarts, also struggled to adapt.

"Yes, but they were playing on the bounciest pitch in Australia. So it was not going to be easy if you had not had any international cricket for a couple of months under your belt. It wasn't easy for the Shubman Gills, Shreyas Iyers and others too, who have been playing international cricket quite regularly for some time now," Gavaskar told India Today.

"So it wasn't just the two of them who weren't able to cope with the bouncing ball. Maybe KL Rahul could have gone in after the first couple of wickets, a little bit earlier. But I wouldn't be too hard on both these great players," he added.

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The second ODI will be played at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday, October 23. Shubman Gill and Co. will have to come back strongly from the comprehensive drubbing in Perth. Australia, on the other hand, will want to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series with a win in Adelaide.