“ROHIT SHARMA MAY NOT REMEMBER THIS INNINGS FOR THE RUNS, BUT HE’LL TAKE GREAT SATISFACTION FROM IT”: ABHISHEK NAYAR

Australia edged past India in a thrilling contest at Adelaide Oval, clinching a two-wicket win to seal the ODI series 2-0 with one game still to play. Rohit Sharma’s 73 and Shreyas Iyer’s 61 guided India to a competitive 264, but knocks from Matthew Short and Cooper Connolly powered Australia home in a tense finish. Speaking exclusively on ‘Cricket Live’, JioStar experts Abhishek Nayar, Parthiv Patel, Varun Aaron, and Shane Watson reflected on Rohit’s fighting innings, India’s team balance, bowling combinations, and the tactical lessons from the match.

Speaking on ‘Cricket Live’, JioStar expert Abhishek Nayar spoke about Rohit Sharma’s knock against Australia:

“As a player, you might forget some of your big hundreds or double centuries, but there are certain knocks that stay with you, especially the ones where you’ve had to fight hard. Rohit Sharma may not remember this innings for the runs he scored, but knowing him personally, he’ll take great satisfaction from it. As a batter, when you make runs in tough conditions, it gives you a different kind of joy, much like a bowler getting wickets on a flat pitch. Rohit might be disappointed for not converting it into a big score, but deep down, he’ll know he worked hard for every run today. His resilience stood out. That’s what impressed me the most about this Indian team today: their resilience. Even when it looked like Australia would cruise to victory, they kept fighting. And Rohit embodied that spirit. Despite being constantly tested, whenever he got a loose delivery, he made the most of it. That intent, combined with grit, defined his innings.”

Speaking on ‘Cricket Live’, JioStar expert Parthiv Patel shared his thoughts on India’s team combination and areas to improve ahead of the third ODI:

“We will definitely see Kuldeep Yadav playing in the third ODI. As far as the combination is concerned, India will have to trust their top order, whether it’s about performance or runs and stick with the right balance. There’s no need for an extra cushion in batting. Kuldeep Yadav can provide those crucial wickets in the middle overs that India has been missing. If your top-order batters get out early, that’s part of the game. You can’t keep adding more batters to cover for that. The focus should be on playing the best combination to win. And on a lighter note, the support staff should make Captain Shubman Gill practice the coin toss while travelling to Sydney, because the toss has played a huge role so far. The ball swung a lot, just like it did in Perth. Even though Australia have sealed the series 2-0, I believe India has still played commendable cricket here, especially considering the limited preparation time they had.”

Speaking on ‘Cricket Live’, JioStar expert Varun Aaron analysed India’s defeat:

“I think there’s never just one reason why a team loses. The way Josh Hazlewood bowled was outstanding. He simply didn’t give away anything with the new ball. India couldn’t get off to a quick start, and then they struggled to build partnerships. If you compare the two sides, Australia had three 50-plus partnerships and even a 30-run stand at the top, while India only managed a 100-run partnership and couldn’t cross 50 in any other. The Aussies kept building through the innings and always stayed in the game. There was also a small phase where India leaked too many runs. They should have bowled Washington Sundar more to Connolly, and Harshit Rana’s short spell, nearly 40 runs in three overs, really hurt India’s momentum. That’s where the game slipped away.”

On Kuldeep Yadav’s exclusion from the playing 11:

“Kuldeep Yadav should have been part of the playing XI right from the first game of the series. You might have to sacrifice a batsman to make that happen, but it’s worth it. Playing just two fast bowlers in Australia isn’t ideal, but Kuldeep is someone who can get you wickets and those wickets make up for the runs you might lose by playing one batter fewer. In fact, when teams go in with one less batter, it often brings more responsibility to the top order, who dig in deeper knowing there isn’t as much cushion behind them. India have done this before, and it’s worked. Kuldeep would be a great addition because he gives you that attacking option in the middle overs. At the moment, India seem to be relying on batters making mistakes to get wickets, whereas Kuldeep is a genuine wicket-taker who can create those breakthroughs on his own.”

Speaking on ‘Cricket Live’, JioStar expert Shane Watson shared his thoughts on India’s approach to team combinations in overseas conditions:

“They’re currently working through their combinations in these kinds of conditions. India have been playing a lot of cricket in subcontinental environments, which naturally suit the quality of spinners they possess. But now, it’s a completely different ball game. We saw the ball swing and seam around throughout the day here, and that presents a new set of challenges for the Indian setup, figuring out what their best combinations are when playing in conditions like this. Over the next couple of years, that’s going to be crucial as they build the foundation of a team heading into the 2027 World Cup in South Africa.”

On India’s bowling performance against Australia:

“There’s no question that India could have taken a few more early wickets. Mohammed Siraj, with the brand-new ball, bowled beautifully. It was swinging late, and on another day, he could easily have picked up four or five wickets if luck had gone his way. As for Harshit Rana, he’s young and full of energy, but tactically, he might have got it slightly wrong, especially going over and around the wicket to new batters, particularly the left-handers. Still, there’s no doubt that India have plenty of incredible ingredients in their setup. It’s just about finding the right mix for these conditions and delivering consistently. Of course, missing Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya is a big blow, as both know how to bowl effectively in such conditions. But there’s a lot of world-class talent coming through, especially on the batting front. The key now is to keep giving the fast bowlers exposure in these environments so they can learn what works best against the top batters in the world.”

Catch all the action of the 3^rd ODI of India’s tour of Australia 2025, on October 25, 9 AM IST onwards, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network