Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Australia players leave the field after the third match of the One Day International series between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground on October 25, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo: Ayush Kumar/Getty Images) New Delhi: “He had one of those natures that called to you and in whose presence you felt it was good to live.” Frank Iredale wrote this about Victor Trumper, his teammate on Australia’s tour of England in 1899. On Saturday at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), for those lucky enough to be there or watching on TV or mobile phones, it was the same feeling of seeing Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma turn back the clock.For both men, this match carried the weight of a finish. Rohit and Kohli retired from Tests and T20Is. With no ODIs scheduled in Australia before the 2027 FIFA World Cup, these were almost certainly their last outings on Australian soil. “I don’t know if we’ll come back to Australia, but all the years we’ve played here have been fun,” Rohit Sharma, 38, said after the match. “You know, a lot of good memories, bad memories. But overall I’ll take the cricket I’ve played here.”
Shubman Gill Press Conference: Captain welcomes Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli after India’s big win
Sydney used to be unkind to them. It was at this venue that they saw their stars crumble earlier this year as Rohit had to pull out of the Test XI himself. Kohli, the leader of a bruised team, watched as Jasprit Bumrah went off injured and Australia clinched the Border-Gavaskar series. That match and the tour closed chapters that neither man planned to finish as within months both – two pillars of Indian cricket – surprisingly announced their retirement from the longest format.And yet another chapter awaited Sydney.Rohit and Kohli walked in blue for the last ODI of the series against Australia, carrying unfinished business. The crowd, aware of what this place meant to their journey, filled the stands with anticipation and nostalgia.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – OCTOBER 25: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma of India talk during game three of the One Day International series between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground on October 25, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo: Ayush Kumar/Getty Images)
The two veterans did not disappoint and turned back the clock with a match-winning 168-run as India beat Australia by nine wickets in the third dead-rubber One-Day International, arguably their swan song Down Under. Chasing a modest 237, India reached the target comfortably with 69 balls to spare at a sold-out SCG. Rohit was unbeaten on 121 but it was Kohli who got the loudest roar. This was despite Kohli suffering two ducks in the opening matches of the series in Adelaide and Perth, both won by Australia. The chasing champion remained unbeaten on 74 at the SCG.Rohit, India’s leading scorer in the series, reminded everyone of the value of experience. Kohli, meanwhile, was returning to form and looked like a man still fighting, still obsessed, still searching, still not done. There’s no guarantee how many more innings they have left in them, but Sydney gave them an opportunity to rewrite — or end — the story where it once broke, something most players never get.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – OCTOBER 25: Rohit Sharma of India is congratulated by teammate Virat Kohli after completing a century (100 runs) during the third match of the One Day International series between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground on October 25, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo: Ayush Kumar/Getty Images)
Cricket rarely allows for fairy tales – it’s too ruthless and merciless a game. But sometimes it allows those who have had enough of the sport one small favor. And Sydney was kind for once. The same place that saw them falter in white gave them a moment in blue.In the same place where they both once looked like men at the end of their journey, they found a way to remind everyone that they still had a few more miles to go.
Vote
What was your favorite moment from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s last ODI match in Australia?
Will Rohit give another set? Maybe. Might be another great chase from Kohli. Maybe not. Will both make it to the 2027 World Cup? Who knows. But those are questions for another day. The play was about two men who refused to be remembered for their downfall – and instead wrote their own ending Down Under.
