Rohit, Virat turn back the clock as India gets consolation nine-wicket win over Australia

Rohit Sharma scored 121 and Virat Kohli 74 not out as India chased 237, defeating Australia by nine wickets in the 3rd ODI at Sydney. Harshit Rana’s 4-39 helped bowl out Australia, ensuring India avoided a series whitewash

Sydney: Rohit Sharma led the charge with a vintage 121 – his 33rd ODI century – while Virat Kohli remained unbeaten on 74, as the duo turned back the clock in style and guided India to a stunning nine-wicket consolation win over Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.

Australia had started brightly, but India clawed back through disciplined bowling, with Harshit Rana’s decisive spell of 4-39 helping the visitors bowl out the hosts for 236. India’s reply was assertive from the outset – Rohit and Shubman Gill put on 68 for the opening stand before Josh Hazlewood removed the latter.

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That brought Rohit and Virat together, as India’s most experienced batting pair justified their high ceiling. Rohit’s strokeplay was crisp, hitting 13 fours and three sixes in his 121 not out off 125 balls, while Kohli’s composure was unwavering, scoring an unbeaten 74 off 81 deliveries, laced with seven boundaries.

Together, the duo stitched an unbeaten 168-run partnership in an absolute chasing masterclass, ensuring India ended the series with a statement win, reaching the target with 11.3 overs to spare and avoiding a clean sweep by Australia.

India’s chase began with Rohit clipping, driving, cutting, and lofting Mitchell Starc for boundaries. With the SCG pitch offering less movement than in the first innings, Rohit found greater fluency compared to the previous game in Adelaide, with timing and placement standing out.

Gill joined the boundary-hitting party by glancing Nathan Ellis for four, while Rohit lofted and pulled Hazlewood for more boundaries. Gill ended the powerplay with a powerful slog-sweep off Cooper Connolly for six, taking India to 68/0 and shifting momentum in their favour.

Gill, however, fell to a peach from Hazlewood, edging a delivery pitched around the fourth-stump channel to Alex Carey. Kohli walked in to a standing ovation from the SCG crowd, likely marking his final appearance at the venue.

After bagging consecutive ducks, Kohli got off the mark on the first ball and acknowledged the moment with a smile and a subtle fist pump, as the crowd roared. He then cut Adam Zampa for four, pulled Hazlewood, and straight-drove Starc for further boundaries.

Rohit lofted Zampa over long-off for six, reaching his 60th ODI fifty in 63 balls. He later swept Zampa for four, slog-swept for six, and heaved Nathan Ellis for another boundary.

Kohli survived an lbw appeal off Ellis on the umpire’s call and brought up his 75th ODI fifty. He also surpassed Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer of all time in ODI history, just behind Sachin Tendulkar.

Following the partnership crossing 100 runs, Rohit used drives and sweeps off spinners to bring up his hundred in 105 balls in front of a strong crowd. He then hit a couple of excellent sweeps off Matt Short for a six and two fours, before Kohli flicked and ramped Ellis for boundaries to seal India’s win.

Earlier, despite all six top Australian batters getting starts, Matthew Renshaw’s 56 off 58 was the highest score. Rana, under pressure coming into the game, delivered in the latter stages to slice through the middle and lower order, picking a memorable four-fer.

Every Indian bowler chipped in with a wicket as Australia lost their last six wickets for just 53 runs. Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar applied pressure between overs 11–40 to stall Australia’s momentum after Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head added 61 for the opening wicket.

Head broke the shackles with a flick off Siraj in the third over, while Prasidh Krishna’s return to ODIs was met with aggression, as Marsh hit a six off his first ball and followed it with another boundary. Head reached 3,000 ODI runs with a single, and Australia moved to 44/0 by the seventh over.

Siraj struck in the 10th over by removing Head for 31 to end Australia’s powerplay at 63/1. A misfield at short cover nearly led to a run-out as Short hesitated mid-pitch, but Gill’s direct hit missed the stumps. Short’s nervy start continued with a failed review off Kuldeep, even as Marsh was bowled by Axar for 41.

Short subsequently fell to a sharp catch by Kohli at square leg off Sundar. Alex Carey survived a dropped chance on eight but was later dismissed by a tumbling catch from Shreyas Iyer, who injured his left side and walked off in discomfort.

Renshaw looked fluent, bringing up his fifty with minimal risk, but was trapped lbw by Sundar after missing a flick. Australia’s collapse continued as Mitch Owen edged to slip off Rana, Kuldeep castled Starc, and Ellis hit three boundaries before falling to Prasidh. Rana wrapped up the innings with two wickets in three balls – Connolly caught at long-off and Hazlewood’s defence breached – setting the base for Rohit and Virat to lead India to a memorable win.

Brief scores:

Australia 236 all out in 43.4 overs (Matthew Renshaw 56, Mitchell Marsh 41; Harshit Rana 4-39, Washington Sundar 2-44) lost to India 237/1 in 38.3 overs (Rohit Sharma 121 not out, Virat Kohli 74 not out; Josh Hazlewood 1-23) by nine wickets