- Don’t speculate; celebrate—whether they’ll play in 2027 is a question for later, but for now, enjoy the moment. Rohit Sharma was Player of the Match and Player of the Series, the chase master is back; despite two ducks earlier, runs came in the end.
- Harshit Rana, despite heavy trolling, took four wickets; Axar Patel further solidified his place; India didn’t win the series but won hearts and preserved the record of never being whitewashed 3-0 by Australia in Australia.
2027 Debate and ODI Context
- The noise about 2027 is premature; even Rohit and Kohli couldn’t have foreseen their 2024 T20 and 2025 Test retirements when at their peaks, so predicting two to three years ahead is unrealistic—let destiny take its course.
- Bilateral ODIs now often lack context with rankings diluted and the World Cup far away; series need hype, and discussing Rohit-Kohli becomes the easy lever, especially since fans overanalyze after not seeing them regularly across formats.
Australia Chapter Sentiment
- Australia is a frontier they’ve conquered, with stellar numbers there and against Australia; both acknowledged the country and venues for the love and respect, saying they were happy to sign off like this, though no one can confirm it’s their last in Australia before 2028.
Rohit Sharma: Player of the Series
- Being Player of the Series despite India losing underscores exceptional performance; most pitches (barring the last) were challenging, tosses were lost, yet he topped the run charts as opener.
- At Sydney, India have only three ODI wins vs Australia and Rohit scored in all three—66, 99, and 121; this was his ninth ODI hundred vs Australia, 33rd ODI hundred, and 50th international hundred overall.
- The fluent chase batting evoked vintage “Hitman”; with current fitness he aims to bat long—the “father of daddy hundreds”; in a chase of 236, a 121 was decisive. Suggestion: with a month’s break coming, play a couple of matches to avoid stop-start rhythm, which is especially tough for one-format players.
Virat Kohli: Innocence and Control
- Kohli’s first-ball single and subtle celebration reflected innocence; he has admitted that even after so many runs one can feel “I can’t score,” a reminder that cricket humbles and resets you to zero.
- He let the ball come, didn’t overattack Hazlewood, and built typically; after two ducks, a composed fifty returned the chase-master aura—if this was indeed a sign-off in Australia, it was in style.
Harshit Rana: Validation with Four Wickets
- After intense trolling and limited regular chances, four wickets provided external validation and self-belief; he bowled well with both new and old ball when Prasidh played and Avesh didn’t.
- Appeal to fans: if you can’t applaud, at least don’t abuse—life exists between applause and abuse.
Axar Patel: Bat and Ball Impact
- Axar was India’s second-highest run-scorer this series, batting at No. 5 and batting only twice; with the ball he was both economical and wicket-taking, though held back after 5-17 with one wicket.
- Across the series his stature grew; he knows he’s no longer a vice-captain and plays as a pure player; Jadeja’s Test pedigree and ICC final presence apply pressure, which Axar has handled admirably.
Nitish Kumar Reddy: Role Clarity Needed
- His role remains unclear; injury explains this series, but to future-proof and find a Hardik replacement/partner, his role must be enlarged—giving chances without clear role design wastes opportunities.
Kuldeep and Team Balance at No. 8
- Playing Kuldeep doesn’t guarantee four wickets every time; here he got one; more crucial is batting depth at No. 8—Australia felt the pinch with Starc at 8 when all out by the 46th after batting began in the 38th.
- Template: three attacking bowling options with batting at No. 8; if three pure pacers play, fine; if two pacers plus Hardik and NKR share seam overs, include Kuldeep, but ensure a batter at 8—the position Jadeja filled in recent ICC/Asia Cup wins.
Shubman Gill: Captaincy and Runs
- Gill needs runs; as captain he started fine but had an ordinary ODI series and India lost it—could be an anomaly, but to go from prince to king, he must stamp authority in Australia.
- T20 series starts soon; no morning video tomorrow; please share; watch PKL on Jio Hotstar/Star Sports, links in description.
