The return of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma weren’t as the fans had expected as the former Indian captains departed for single digits in the first ODI against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday. Playing for India for the first time after the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the duo returned to the national colours after a gap of seven months.

Put into bat first, India started off to a steady start with Shubman Gill and Rohit hitting a boundary each in the first three overs. Just when it looked that India are on a quest for a big opening stand, Rohit was undone by a rising Josh Hazlewood delivery that took a thick edge to Matthew Renshaw at the slips. Rohit lasted only 14 balls for his eight runs.

Coming at no.3, Kohli entered the stadium amid huge roar from the Indians fans. But their happiness was short-lived when spin bowling all-rounder Cooper Connolly dived to his left to take an acrobatic diving catch at the point to send Kohli back in the hut for a duck off Mitchell Starc. It was Kohli’s first duck in Australia in ODIs and 39th overall.

How fans reacted to Rohit, Virat’s dismissal?

The early dismissals of both Kohli and Rohit didn’t go well with their fans on social media. “1 mhine se wait kar rha tha. Sunday barbaad bhaisaab,” one user wrote. “Fans should stop the prediction game before the match. Nazar is real…what a bad day,” another wrote.

Rain stops play in Perth for second time

Meanwhile, rain stopped play at the Optus Stadium in Perth after just 11.5 overs. The first rain interruption came after 8.5 overs after India had lost Rohit, Kohli and captain Shubman Gill with just 25 runs on board. The players returned back in action with Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel doing the revival job with a couple of boundaries.

However, the rain gods opened up once again after just three overs of play. At the time of second stoppage of play, India were 37/3.

Virat Kohli breaks silence on shifting abroad

For the unknown, Kohli had shifted to the United Kingdom after the completition of Indian Premier League (IPL) in June. Having already retired from Tests and T20Is, Kohli only plays in the ODIs currently.

Breaking his silence on leaving India and shifting abroad, Kohli stated he haven’t been able to spend quality time with his family since making his debut in 2008. “It’s been a long time off for me since I retired from Test cricket,” Kohli told Fox Cricket on Sunday.

“As I was saying, just catching up on life. I haven’t been able to do anything for the last… I don’t know how many years. Just being able to spend some quality time with your kids, with family at home, its been a beautiful phase and something that I have really enjoyed,” added Kohli, who is probably in his final tour Down Under.