Australia had secured a 2-0 lead and Saturday’s series finale in Sydney should have been considered a dead rubber. But not with what is at stake for one of the greatest one-day batsmen of all time – Virat Kohli. The former captain is under immense pressure to live up to his duties after bagging two ducks in as many games in the series, marking his return to international cricket after seven months. As expected, the great man’s every word and every gesture was dissected to the letter aa simple waving of the gloves towards the fans at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday sparked speculation of his retirement.
Quite a few see it as a watershed moment for Kohli. Like even Sunil Gavaskar made light of itThe 36-year-old is not one to quit after two setbacks, there remains concern that the end could be nearing. Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been told they will be tried, but not put on trial, after they return to competitive action with a focus on the 2027 World Cup. The Indian team management and selectors have made it clear they are looking to the future while remaining open to the experience of the two modern-day greats. Rohit seems to have silenced the noise around his future with a hard-fought 73 – a knock that showed the world that one of the most elegant batsmen in history is prepared to look ugly for his dreams and his team.
It was difficult to rate Kohli considering that he spent only 14 deliveries at the crease. But one thing is for sure – the lack of playing time has left him looking rusty. After returning to competitive action without match practice for over four months, it has been a tough reintroduction for the former captain. In the series opener in Perth, he fell into the offside trap perfected against him by the Aussies. After facing seven points, a frustrated Kohli struggled to break free, he pushed Mitchell Starc’s delivery slanted over himwith the bat away from the body – resulting in a gully catch. In the second ODI in Adelaide, one of his favorite hunting grounds, Kohli was thwarted by a delivery that stuck back to the right-hander and hit the pads after a good length pitch. Xavier Bartlett set him up perfectly, throwing three outswingers before getting one down the seam.
For all the vulnerabilities he tried to mask in Test cricket before his shock retirement earlier this year, Kohli’s ODI form never really suffered. Even during the leanest phase of his Test career, Kohli had a record-breaking World Cup campaign at home. However, staying in the no match practice zone will be a tough challenge.
And it’s unlikely to escape scrutiny for long.
Former Indian off-spinner R. Ashwin summed it up perfectly, says Kohli needs a big innings in Sydney silence the naysayers and ensure that no fingers are pointed at him for India’s series defeat.
“I really hope he comes back and scores in Sydney. What happened to Rohit today (Thursday), Virat Kohli needs it in Sydney because in India we don’t discuss why we lost; more often we discuss who we lost because of. Before people start pointing fingers, I hope Virat scores,” Ashwin said on his YouTube show.
It won’t be easy for Kohli. There was no turnover between the second ODI, which ended on Friday, and the third ODI. And a seed of doubt may already have been planted in Kohli’s mind, given the nature of his two dismissals – chasing one wide in Perth and missing one that went wrong while waiting for a delivery in Adelaide.
And Kohli will not return to a place where he has particularly fond memories. Only at the beginning of this year, Kohli looked like a spent force during the New Year Test in Sydney. He looked helpless as Australia’s Scott Boland exposed his weakness to deliveries tipped over the off-stump. In fact, the Aussies have said it outright – that they will focus on Kohli’s glaring weakness – and have spoken by dismissing him twice.
Few people knew then that a picture of Kohli yelling at himself after that dismissal in the second innings will be his last in Test cricket. That eventually proved to be the case when Kohli retired from Tests a month after that disastrous tour of Australia.
His fans and supporters will be hoping Sydney doesn’t prove to be another bad omen.
AUS vs. IND, 3rd ODI: OTHER TALKING POINTS
- Apart from Kohli, India also have to protect proudly. In the history of ODI cricket, India have been whitewashed only five times in a series of three or more matches. Young captain Shubman Gill will be under pressure as he would not want to be dropped in his first series as captain.
- It remains to be seen whether India will give Gill a break and give Yashasvi Jaiswal a chance. With the series already lost, Gill could have benefited from an extra day’s rest before the five-match T20I series begins on October 28. Gill has had a heavy workload since taking England for the five-Test series as captain. He played the Asia Cup and led India in a two-Test series against the West Indies last month before landing in Australia for the white-ball matches.
- It will also be interesting to see if Rohit Sharma can build on his confidence in Adelaide. Rohit averages 66 at the SCG, leading the batting charts there with one hundred and two fifties.
- Moreover, it will likely be the last international tour for both Rohit and Kohli on Australian soil – the country where they experienced some of the biggest highs and lows of their careers. No wonder the third ODI is sold out.
- India may also make changes to their bowling line-up. Amid loud calls to include Kuldeep Yadavhe might finally get a chance as a left-arm wrist spinner, considering Sydney’s spin-friendly nature and long boundaries.
- India could also give an opportunity to Prasidh Krishna instead of another seamer. Will Harshit Rana, who showed promise in the second ODI, back off or will India prefer Arshdeep Singh ahead of the T20I series?
- It will be a chance for Australia to complete the sweep and head into the T20I series high on confidence. Mitchell Marsh’s men are unlikely to make many changes to their winning XI. Attention will be on the workload of Starc and Josh Hazlewood, but both pacers are likely to play the final ODI.
AUS vs. IND, 3RD ODI: SYDNEY PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS
Sydney are expected to offer bright conditions for the series finale. Neither side trained on the eve of the competition due to hectic travel schedules. The pitch at the SCG for the New Year’s Test was a fast bowler’s paradise, but in white-ball games the venue produced sporting wickets, with spinners getting more purchase than most other pitches.
Australia are on a six-match unbeaten run at the venue, with their last win coming against the West Indies in February 2024.
AUS vs IND: HEAD-TO-HEAD IN SYDNEY
India have a poor record in Sydney, winning only two out of 19 matches there and losing 16. India last won at this venue in 2016.
WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH 3. ODI
The series final will begin at the SCG at 9:00 am IST, 2:30 pm local time.
– The end
Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
October 24, 2025
