Watch: Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli Earn Special Praise From Gautam Gambhir For Innings Against Australia At Sydney

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli rolled back the years with a majestic 168-run unbeaten stand for the second wicket in the third ODI against Australia on Saturday, easing India to victory and silencing doubts about their places in the side. In the dressing room after the win, head coach Gautam Gambhir lauded the duo’s performance and the team’s batting efforts in the successful chase of 237.

He specifically hailed the solid foundation laid by openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, whose 69-run partnership set the tone for the innings. In a video shared by BCCI, Gambhir can be heard saying, “With the bat, I thought the partnership between Shubman and Rohit was very, very important when it was 60 for no loss. And then the partnership between Rohit and Virat was again outstanding. And special mention to Ro another 100 outstanding. The most important thing was that you finished it off, and Virat as well,”

Gambhir further emphasised how crucial it was for senior players like Rohit and Kohli to see the chase through without losing their wickets. He added, “I thought that is something which was very important from the team's point of view as well, and how clinical we can be in these chases, and we were very good,”.

For both Rohit and Kohli, the win held deeper significance. Post-match, Rohit admitted this series could be their final outing in Australian conditions, as both approach the twilight of their international journeys. He said, “Always love coming here and playing here. Fond memories of 2008. Don’t know if we’ll be coming back to Australia. We enjoy our cricket no matter what accolades we achieve. We started afresh in Perth. That's how I look at things"

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will next face South Africa in a three-match ODI series from November 30 to December 6.