Identical scores, unequal stakes: How Rohit and Kohli’s returns told two different stories

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s much-awaited return to international cricket in Perth on Sunday didn’t go as anticipated. Both fell cheaply as India’s top order was rattled by the pace and bounce of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. But while the numbers — 8 and 0 — looked identical, the contexts behind those dismissals were starkly different.

Rohit’s dismissal was a result of a perfect plan from Josh Hazlewood rather than a reckless shot. Hazlewood teased him with a probing off-stump line from over the wicket, pulled his length back just a touch and then got one to kick sharply off the deck. Rohit, caught between playing and leaving, followed the ball just enough to nick it to second slip.

It was classic Hazlewood — relentless, intelligent and ruthless on a surface with bounce. But for Rohit, at 38, even dismissals set up by brilliance invite uncomfortable questions. Age, reaction time and rhythm don’t always show up in numbers; they show up in moments like these — when bat speed is a fraction late or when balance shifts just enough to open the edge.

Unlike Kohli, Rohit didn’t look particularly fluent in the nets leading up to the game. His sessions were comparatively shorter and less intense; he appeared rusty early on, taking time to find timing against the Australian quicks. That rust showed on match day.

If Rohit was undone by a plan, Kohli was guilty of repetition. His dismissal off Starc — chasing a ball on the sixth or seventh stump early in his innings — was straight out of the Border-Gavaskar playbook from earlier this year. It was the same error: playing away from the body before getting his eye in. That’s the one technical flaw Kohli hasn’t been able to fully erase.

Ironically, Kohli had looked sharper than Rohit in the nets. He batted longer, more intensely, and seemed focused on finding rhythm through repetition. Yet, once in the middle, his first instinct betrayed him — a drive on instinct rather than judgment.

The stakes are unequal

For Kohli, this setback won’t shift his standing. He remains India’s most bankable ODI batter — his record, fitness, and adaptability keep him central to the team’s plans. He’s also walking into two venues that have historically suited him: Adelaide, where he averages 61 in ODIs and has scored two hundreds and Sydney, where the easy paced wicket will suit his sort of gameplay.

For Rohit, though, the next two ODIs could define what comes next. India are no longer short on opening options, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhishek Sharma waiting in the wings. The team is already looking ahead to the 2027 World Cup, which will be played on the fast and bouncy pitches of South Africa, and patience with veterans naturally shrinks as younger batters push through.

If Rohit doesn’t find form soon, the discussion will shift from “when” he returns to “whether” he should.

The difference between the two in Perth was telling. Rohit was defeated by an exceptional bowler; Kohli, by his own recurring weakness. Yet the larger pressure still sits on Rohit’s shoulders. Kohli has room to rebuild; Rohit has to prove he still belongs.

Adelaide and Sydney will reveal plenty. Runs from Kohli will reaffirm familiarity; runs from Rohit will be redemption. But another failure or two — even if aesthetically soft — could nudge Indian cricket toward the inevitable: the beginning of the post-Rohit era in ODIs.

Because for 36-year-old Kohli, time remains an ally. For Rohit, it’s starting to become the opponent.