India’s batting coach confident of Rohit, Kohli’s form in 2nd ODI against Australia

Dubai: India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak remains confident that star batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will bounce back with strong performances in the second One-Day International against Australia in Adelaide.

The first ODI marked the high-profile return of the veteran duo to international cricket following their retirement from Test matches earlier this year. It was also their first appearance since the ICC Champions Trophy Final in March. However, the comeback was underwhelming as Rohit managed just 8 runs off 14 balls, while Kohli was dismissed for a duck in just eight deliveries. Persistent rain and challenging conditions further hampered India’s efforts, resulting in a seven-wicket loss.

Despite the poor outing, Kotak dismissed concerns over form or rustiness. “I don’t think there was any rust. They played in the IPL and prepared really well. Both are highly experienced, and even before arriving in Australia, their training was excellent. It’s too early to draw any negative conclusions,” Kotak told reporters.

He added that both batters looked in good touch during practice sessions and had been approaching each net session with intent and focus.

Kotak also revealed that the BCCI and team management closely monitored the duo’s fitness and preparations through updates from the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

“We’ve been tracking their routines — practice and fitness — via the NCA. We get updates and videos. But with senior players like them, you have to know when to step in. If everything is on track, there’s no need to interfere unnecessarily,” he explained.

Addressing India’s overall performance in the first ODI, Kotak pointed to the difficult playing conditions, with frequent rain interruptions disrupting momentum and strategy.

“It would’ve been the same had Australia batted first. Planning is hard when you don’t know how many overs you’ll get. With four or five rain breaks, and players going in and out constantly, it’s challenging. We lost a couple of early wickets, but I’m not reading too much into that,” Kotak said.

India face a must-win match in Adelaide on Thursday to keep the three-match series alive. A win for Australia would seal the series 2-0.