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Virat Kohli turns frustration into fire in 45-min high-intensity net grind, Rohit Sharma seeks Josh Hazlewood fix
Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be eager to shut out the noise and silence their critics with a strong batting performance in Adelaide.
The Indian top order was in focus when the team trained at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday, ahead of the second ODI match of the three-game series against Australia. Rohit Sharma, captain Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli scored just 18 runs among themselves and were all dismissed inside the powerplay in India's seven-wicket loss in the rain-curtailed series opener last week in Perth.
Rain will remain an issue in the second game on Thursday, as it bothered the Indians on Tuesday. According to a report in RevSportz, the Gill-led side was expected to train indoors amid the rain in Adelaide. But the ground staff quickly prepared the outdoor nets upon the team's arrival as soon as the rain cleared. With wet patches still posing a concern, the fast bowlers decided to keep it light, with Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh bowling for just 15 minutes each to the top-order batters, before they joined Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna at the gym.
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The report added that Rohit was the first batter to hit the nets and focused on finding a remedy against Josh Hazlewood's hard-length deliveries, who had dismissed him for eight runs in the first ODI. He was also seen having constant discussions with Gill, sharing technical inputs.
Kohli, who was dismissed by Mitchell Starc for an eight-ball duck in Perth, which had further fueled the chatter around his place in India's World Cup plans, turned his frustration into fire in a 45-minute high-intensity net grind. The report revealed that after facing a few warm-up deliveries, he "asked the throwdown specialists to come full throttle at him." He was seen constantly talking to himself, pumping himself up throughout the session.
While it wasn't an entirely positive net session for Kohli, who edged the ball on multiple occasions and mistimed a few shots, he kept his calm throughout the training, which also witnessed a few crisp drives and stellar pull shots.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir actively participated in the session, engaging in multiple discussions with players and reviewing batting techniques with a few.
Both Rohit and Kohli will be eager to shut out the noise and silence their critics with a strong batting performance in Adelaide. The Perth show exposed some rustiness, as it was their first international game in seven months, with both out of action since the end of IPL 2025 in late May.
The Indian team will have their final training session for the second ODI on Wednesday morning.
