Rohit Sharma (c) of India and Virat Kohli of India during the first one day international match between India and Sri Lanka held at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati on the 10th January 2023. (Sportzpics)Australia’s Pat Cummins, who will not be taking part in the upcoming white-ball series against India due to a back injury, said that this might be the last time the Australia public will see Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma playing Down Under. Rohit and Kohli have already retired from Tests and T20Is and were selected for the 3-match ODI series in Australia, set to begin on Sunday.
“Virat and Rohit have been part of almost every Indian side for the last 15 years, so this might be the last chance for the Australian public to see them playing out here. They’ve obviously been champions of the game for India and are always very well supported. Whenever we play them, the crowd gets loud,” Cummins said on JioHotstar.
The ODI series has an added relevance due to the presence of the two stalwarts whose performances here might indicate their status in the Men in Blue ODI team for the 2027 World Cup in South Africa.
Cummins who is in danger of missing out of the high voltage 1st Test in Ashes against England in November, also expressed his disappointment on sitting out the white-ball series vs India which also includes 5 T20Is.
“It’s a shame to miss the white-ball series against India. I think the crowds are going to be huge. There’s already a lot of excitement built up here in Australia. So, whenever you miss a game, it’s disappointing. But missing a big series like this is always a bit harder to take,” he said.
He also offered his take on the approach that Australia should follow under stand-in captain Mitchell Marsh.
“It’s three matches you want to win, but it’s also about giving exposure to the younger guys coming through, particularly those who weren’t part of the last World Cup. The goal is to try and play them, see what they can do, and make sure that once we get close to the World Cup, we know what our 15-man squad is going to be and that we’re well placed,” he said.
Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.
2 min read
