Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli failed to make an impact in the first ODI against Australia, drawing the attention of fans and critics alike. After a long gap of seven months, both senior players returned to international cricket but could not perform as expected in Perth. However, all eyes are now on the second ODI to be played in Adelaide on Thursday — a venue where Kohli has an outstanding record. Fans are hopeful that the “King” will roar again at his favorite ground.

Looking at the records, Adelaide can rightly be called Kohli’s fortress. In four ODIs played here, he has scored 244 runs at an average of 61, including two centuries. Not just in ODIs, Kohli’s record in Tests at Adelaide is equally impressive — he has scored 537 runs in five matches at an average of 53.70 with three centuries. Across all formats, Kohli has played 12 matches at this venue, scoring 975 runs at an average of 65, including five centuries. In contrast, Rohit Sharma’s record here is modest — in six ODIs, he has scored only 131 runs at an average of 21.83.

In the first ODI at Perth, Rohit managed only 8 runs, while Kohli was dismissed for a duck after facing just eight balls. However, Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar believes there is no need to worry. “They played on one of the bounciest pitches in Australia. It’s not easy to adapt to those conditions after such a long break. Even regular players like Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer found it challenging,” said Gavaskar.

“The Indian team remains very strong. They recently won the Champions Trophy. Don’t be surprised if Rohit and Kohli score big in the upcoming matches. The more time they spend in the nets, the quicker they’ll find their rhythm. Once they’re back in form, India can easily post scores beyond 300,” Gavaskar confidently added.