The Indian team's batsmen had a dreadful start to their Australia tour, with high expectations from Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and new captain Shubman Gill. However, all three failed to deliver significant innings. In the first ODI against Australia in Perth, Team India's top order collapsed so badly that it brought back memories of a six-year-old World Cup semi-final match.
Disappointing Top-Order Performance
In the match played at Optus Stadium, Team India lost 3 wickets for just 25 runs, while the collapse began with Rohit Sharma, who returned to the team after seven months. Rohit, who was removed from captaincy, had a poor comeback, scoring only 8 runs before heading back to the pavilion. Similarly, Virat Kohli, also making a return to international cricket, severely disappointed fans. Expectations were high for a big innings from Kohli, but the star batsman failed to open his account, getting out for a duck.
Gill Fails to Steer the Ship
Shubman Gill, embarking on his captaincy journey in ODI cricket with this match, also couldn't make an impact. After two quick wickets, hopes were pinned on Gill to stabilize the innings, but he departed after scoring just 10 runs, while consequently, Team India's top three batsmen collectively managed only 18 runs.
Echoes of World Cup 2019
This marks the lowest score by India's top three batsmen since the 2019 World Cup semi-final. Six years ago, in that semi-final against New Zealand, Rohit, Virat, and KL Rahul together scored a mere 3 runs, which was a huge setback for Indian fans. This current performance starkly reminds them of that dreadful day.
