Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's return to international cricket in over seven months did not go as planned in Perth on Sunday.
The duo failed to get going in the ODI series opener against Australia and were dismissed for 0(8) and 8(14), respectively.
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After India were put in to bat first, the two superstars failed to live up to the fans' expectations. Rohit was caught at slips on a back-of-the-length from Josh Hazlewood.
On the other hand, Kohli again fell to the outside off trap against Mitchell Starc and was caught at backward point by Cooper Connolly.
Former India player Mohammad Kaif has now questioned them for their lack of preparation ahead of the big series.
Kaif blasts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma after failures in 1st ODI at Perth
Kohli and Rohit's much-anticipated comeback to the India blues came after a long hiatus of seven months and ten days.
During the break, they only played cricket during the Indian Premier League (IPL), where Kohli also lifted the trophy with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru after 18 long years.
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While reviewing India's loss against the Aussies on his YouTube channel, Kaif emphasized the importance of rhythm in cricket, saying the former Indian captains could have travelled to Australia well in advance.
"No matter how big a batter you are, this is a game of rhythm. A team like Australia will not spare you if you are not in rhythm. I feel it would have been better if they had arrived earlier," said Kaif.
He further dissected Rohit's dismissal on a short-pitched delivery, explaining how an in-form Rohit manages to pull on such lengths.
According to Kaif, due to the lack of practice, the opener was stuck in a double mind [whether to pull or defend] against Hazlewood and ended up edging the ball to the slip.
Next, India will travel to the Adelaide Oval on Thursday, October 23, for the second ODI of the series.
What time does the India vs Australia 2nd ODI start in India?
The India vs. Australia 2nd ODI match will begin at 9:00 a.m. IST. The toss will take place half an hour earlier, at 8:30 a.m. IST.