Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s much-anticipated return to international cricket turned out to be a disappointment for Indian fans, as both stalwarts failed to deliver with the bat in the first ODI against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday, October 19. Rohit, who was playing his first international match since leading India to the 2025 Champions Trophy title, could only manage eight runs off 14 balls before falling to Josh Hazlewood.

The veteran pacer produced a brilliant delivery that bounced sharply from a good length, catching Rohit off guard. The Indian skipper nicked it to second slip, where debutant Matt Renshaw completed a sharp catch. With this, India lost their first wicket for just 13 runs inside four overs.
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The game held special significance for Rohit, as it marked his 500th international appearance—making him only the fifth Indian to achieve this milestone after Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Rahul Dravid. However, fans were quick to express disappointment on social media, trolling Rohit for failing to make his comeback a memorable one.
Adding to India’s woes, Virat Kohli also endured a rare failure, getting dismissed for a duck. Facing left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc, Kohli was tempted by a full delivery outside off and went for his trademark cover drive. However, he edged the ball to the backward point, where Cooper Connolly pulled off a stunning diving catch. The crowd fell silent as Kohli departed, leaving India reeling early in the innings.
ALSO READ: “Big shoes for me to fill in to carry forward the legacy of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma” – Shubman Gill
This was the second time in international cricket that Starc dismissed Kohli for a duck, joining England’s James Anderson in achieving that rare feat. Fans expressed mixed emotions online—some criticised Kohli’s impatience, while others reflected on his recurring off-stump vulnerability that has haunted him in recent years.
The underwhelming comeback for both Kohli and Rohit has reignited discussions about India’s batting transition, even as Shubman Gill leads the team into a new era of ODI cricket.
Waited so long for Rohit – Kohli Comeback pic.twitter.com/0htASDNwE0
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) October 19, 2025
woke up at 8am on a sunday only to watch rohit 8(14) and kohli 0(8)pic.twitter.com/SZRK5u2hWM
— Arjun* (@mxtaverse) October 19, 2025
Dear Rohit Sharma if this is your last series I’ve enjoyed every bit of it.
YOU WILL FOREVER BE MY IDOL ❤️!! pic.twitter.com/cXvqgrNBQE
— 𝐉𝐨𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐞 (@jod_insane) October 19, 2025
Those who were waiting for Rohit Sharma’s century #INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/1rBve0jt7P
— Sarcasm (@sarcastic_us) October 19, 2025
#INDvsAUS
Gautam Gambhir To Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma 😭 pic.twitter.com/Kgu5pIoOb0— theboysthing (@theboysthing07) October 19, 2025
Kohli goes for 8 ball Duck ..
Bad news for fans after waited so longs to watch him …#ViratKohli #INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/p8odgD7Uza— Tsering Gaphel ༅༎ཚིི་ཪིང་དགའ་འཕེལ།། (@Tsering_gaphel) October 19, 2025
विराट कोहली और रोहित शर्मा 200 दिनों बाद आज खेल रहे थे दोनों ने ही निराश किया और साथ ही सुमन गिल ने भी निराशा ही किया🥹
बहुत मन से सुबह सुबह दोनों को देखने के लिए तैयारी करके बैठा था।😢#INDvsAUS #RohitSharma#ViratKohli#roko #gill pic.twitter.com/zzM8vjb1Gp— CHANDRASHEKHAR YADAV (@CHANDRA01286620) October 19, 2025
Chokli hype :
Before match After match #INDvsAUS #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/WTP1Yn1vH2— Joshi⁰⁷𓃶 (@bhaveshdhoni07) October 19, 2025
Indian cricket fans waited for #RohitSharma and #ViratKohli batting for 6 months just to see them out cheaply on Sunday morning#INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/rgDrlZcbpG
— The last dance (@26lastdance) October 19, 2025
Most Hated Human On earth At the moment😡#INDvsAUS#ViratKohlipic.twitter.com/bQebIDRQ7I pic.twitter.com/CPzUIXf9jG
— 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐘™ (@Mahakal75695213) October 19, 2025
Nothing just Heartbreaking💔
See the wicket of Virat Kohli🥺Again Mitchell Starc takes the wicket of Virat Kohli 🤬#ViratKohli #RohitSharma #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/eyooq5HPyB
— Logan (@SoyabKh98058705) October 19, 2025
UNBELIEVABLE STAT! 🚨
For the FIRST TIME in 30 ODI innings in Australia, Virat Kohli has been dismissed for a DUCK! 🤯
Considering Rohit and Virat serious#ViratKohli #KingKohli #INDvsAUS #Cricket pic.twitter.com/uwSbwLgGxY pic.twitter.com/77vENyMHM2
— VOICE OF BHARAT 🇮🇳 (@ABHIJITSINGH025) October 19, 2025
UNBELIEVABLE STAT! 🚨
For the FIRST TIME in 30 ODI innings in Australia, Virat Kohli has been dismissed for a DUCK! 🤯
Considering Rohit and Virat serious#ViratKohli #KingKohli #INDvsAUS #Cricket pic.twitter.com/uwSbwLgGxY pic.twitter.com/77vENyMHM2
— VOICE OF BHARAT 🇮🇳 (@ABHIJITSINGH025) October 19, 2025
