Rohit Sharma's gritty 73: The story of a battle with rust and pressure
Rohit Sharma battled rust and pressure to score a gritty 73 at the Adelaide Oval, rebuilding India's innings after early setbacks in the second ODI.
 "Rohit Sharma's gritty 73: The story of a battle with rust and pressure")
Rohit Sharma’s rustiness was evident when he walked out to open the innings in the second One-Day International (ODI) against Australia at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday. The veteran opener took five deliveries to open his account and endured a testing spell from Josh Hazlewood, who consistently beat both edges of his bat.
Rohit’s struggle to find rhythm was underlined by two consecutive maiden overs he played against Hazlewood. The right-hander failed to score off 20 deliveries from the Australian pacer during this series, registering a false shot percentage of 45. Hazlewood’s figures in this series reflected his control — 2/20 off seven overs in Perth and 0/22 off seven overs in Adelaide, with 32 dot balls in the latter.
Gill and Kohli fall in quick succession
The mounting pressure at one end eventually led to Shubman Gill’s dismissal. In an attempt to break free, the Indian captain danced down the track against Xavier Bartlett but failed to clear mid-off, where Mitchell Marsh completed a sharp catch.
Virat Kohli followed in the same over, trapped lbw by Bartlett, who revealed later that he had been bowling outswingers and the ball that dismissed Kohli “nipped back after pitching on seam.” Bartlett’s Powerplay dominance continued — in five innings, he has bowled 34 overs, taken 14 wickets, averaging 9.50 with a strike rate of 14.6, economy rate 3.89, and a dot-ball percentage of 63.9. He has picked at least two wickets in each of those innings.
India’s Powerplay total of 29/2 in Adelaide marked one of their lowest since 2023, continuing a trend of early struggles against Australia: 27/3 (Chennai 2023), 27/3 (Perth 2025), 35/2 (Lucknow 2023), and 39/3 (Wankhede 2023).
Rohit’s turnaround: patience meets power
After losing Gill and Kohli in quick succession, Rohit curbed his natural instincts and began rebuilding with Shreyas Iyer. The pair focused on strike rotation, with Iyer taking the lead in boundary-hitting while Rohit anchored the innings.
Rohit’s resurgence began in the 19th over, when he launched into Mitchell Owen for two sixes in three balls. The first came off a short delivery, which he pulled confidently over deep backward square leg — a classic Rohit shot. The second, another short ball, was fetched from outside off and hammered over deep square leg off the front foot, displaying both timing and authority.
The two sixes brought up a 50-run partnership with Iyer, and Rohit soon reached his 59th ODI half-century in the 22nd over, with a single off Adam Zampa. It was a hard-earned milestone, built on patience, placement, and calculated aggression.
Rohit’s slowest ODI fifty since 2015
The 38-year-old’s half-century came off 74 balls, making it his slowest in ODIs since 2015. It also highlighted his adaptability on a spicy Adelaide pitch that offered bounce and seam movement. Since 2022, Rohit has scored 19 fifty-plus innings, and this was only the second instance where he reached the mark with a strike rate below 100.
Rohit mixed caution with controlled aggression, rotating the strike effectively and keeping the scoreboard ticking in partnership with Iyer. Their stand not only steadied India but also showled how to score runs against the Australian attack.
Starc ends Rohit’s fightback
The solid third-wicket partnership of 118 runs off 132 balls finally ended in the 30th over when Mitchell Starc returned to the attack. Starc’s short-of-a-length delivery at 135.8 kph tempted Rohit into a pull shot, but his placement went awry. Josh Hazlewood, stationed at long leg, moved swiftly to his right to complete a clean catch.
Rohit departed for 73 off 97 balls, with seven fours and two sixes, leaving India in a stronger position after being reduced to 17/2 in the seventh over.
Verdict: Experience triumphs over adversity
Rohit Sharma’s innings at the Adelaide Oval was a testament to his experience and resilience. Despite a shaky start against Hazlewood, the former Indian captain absorbed pressure, rebuilt the innings, and produced a gritty knock on a challenging surface.
While his struggles outside off stump exposed his fading reflexes, his ability to adapt and anchor the innings reaffirmed his value in the ODI setup. Far from his flamboyant best, Rohit proved once again that class and composure still define his game — even when time and pace are against him.