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Kohli and Rohit are back in national colours for the first time since the Champions Trophy in March, during which time Indian cricket has moved ahead under a new leadership group. Their comeback now adds both experience and scrutiny to a team in transition.
Both veterans have been preparing intensely, Rohit has shed weight and focused on fitness, while Kohli trained in London with his private coach. Their immediate challenge will be to overcome rust after a long break since the IPL.
Facing Australia provides the ideal stage for a return, given how often the opposition has shaped their careers. The three-match series will test not only their form but also their hunger to continue as one-format players.
Rohit, in particular, steps into a new phase as a senior player without leadership responsibilities, having previously guided India to ICC titles in T20Is and ODIs. For Kohli, it’s another opportunity to reaffirm his class in the middle order.
Australia’s pace duo of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will once again aim to challenge the pair, reviving one of modern cricket’s most engaging rivalries.
However, neither Kohli nor Rohit can afford a slow start. With selectors now prioritising long-term plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup, reputation alone may no longer guarantee security.
Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar hinted as much.
“Look they (Rohit and Kohli) are part of the squad at the moment for Australia. They are not on trial. Once they start playing, then you assess.
“But we have some ideas, and we’ll probably have a better idea of where the team is progressing,” said Agarkar during the ‘NDTV World Summit.’
Future is what Gill is expected to shape. But he will always have the looming figures of Kohli and Rohit behind him.
The 26-year-old has already shown that he is capable of standing up to the legacy of Kohli as a batter during the away series against England.
Now, Gill will have to match the standard set by Rohit as white ball formats skipper, justly reflected in India’s 75 per cent win ratio under him, highest in the country’s ODI history.
If he likes it or not, Gill will be judged against the achievements of Rohit in the limited-overs, and the Mitchell Marsh-led Australia offers him a daunting first stop despite the absence of premier pacer Pat Cummins.
If he can ace this test, it will do a world of good for his confidence as a leader, which will in turn mirror his already fast developing batting.
Team combination
It’s unlikely that the management will break the highly successful opening combination of Rohit and Gill, keeping Yashasvi Jaiswal as a backup option.
It means Kohli will come at No. 3 followed by Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, who will double up as the wicketkeeper.
Nitish Kumar Reddy is likely to receive his maiden ODI cap in the all-rounder’s role since injured Hardik Pandya is not part of the side, and Harshit Rana will vie with Prasidh Krishna for the support seamer’s role behind Mohammad Siraj and Arshdeep Singh.
Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav could be manning the spin department.
On the other hand, the Aussies will hope that the likes of Cooper Connolly, Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Renshaw etc can give ample support to Marsh and India’s eternal nemesis Travis Head.
Full Squads
Teams (from): India: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Australia: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc.
Match starts at 9am IST.
(With PTI inputs)
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