Basic HTML Version

|  | Table of Contents |  | View Full Version

Page 44 - The Indian EYE 110725
P. 44

    STUMP VISION                                                      NOVEMBER 07, 2025        |  The Indian Eye 44

              From Ducks to Dominance:

                     Rohit and Kohli silenced

                        Cricket’s Midlife Crisis

               Two matches of doubt, one night of brilliance and suddenly, the “end of an

                                          era” headlines aged faster than a T20 over

                                                                                                                  almost seems unreal. Rohit’s story,
                                                                                                                  meanwhile, is one of transforma-
                                                                                                                  tion from early promise to all-time
                                                                                                                  greatness. With 11,370 runs, 33 cen-
                                                                                                                  turies, and three double hundreds
                                                                                                                  (including that unforgettable 264),
                                                                                                                  he’s carved his own legacy. Togeth-
                                                                                                                  er, they’ve added 5,483 runs as a
                                                                                                                  pair,   the third-highest partnership
                                                                                                                  in ODI history. But more than num-
                                                                                                                  bers, their success comes from deep
                                                                                                                  understanding and trusting the kind
                     ARCHAN MEHTA
                                                                                                                  of connection you can’t teach, only
                                                                                                                  admire..
               f cricket had a sense of humour,                                                                       So where does the story go from
               it was definitely chuckling Down
            IUnder.  The  first  two  ODIs  in                                                                    here? By 2027, Rohit will be 40 and
                                                                                                                  Kohli 39. The question isn’t about
            Australia were less “Men in Blue”                                                                     their  batting,  it’s  about  continuity.
            and more “Men in Review.” Ro-                                                                         With both focusing primarily on
            hit Sharma and Virat Kohli, India’s                                                                   ODIs, rhythm becomes their great-
            eternal headline-makers, looked like                                                                  est rival. The experts’ advice - More
            they’d spent their seven-month break                                                                  domestic cricket, more match time.
            practising patience instead of power.                                                                 Maybe a Ranji cameo, maybe a Vi-
            Perth and Adelaide served up rare                                                                     jay Hazare tune-up. Physically, both
            images of vulnerability from India’s                                                                  look  sharper  than  ever;  mentally,
            batting royals, prompting whispers of   Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli celebrate after winning the 3rd ODI match against Australia at   they’ve seen too much to be rattled.
            “Is this the end?” But as history often                                                               What they’re chasing now isn’t re-
            reminds us legends don’t retire, they           Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney (Reuters/ANI Photo)   cords, it’s relevance. And if Sydney
            reload. And by the time the Sydney                                                                    is anything to go by, they’re far from
            lights  dimmed,  the  jungle  knew  its   Kohli’s second consecutive duck, the   assuring, ruthless. Kohli’s 74 not out   done.
            truth: the old kings still ruled.  first  of  his  ODI  career,  sent  shock-  was less an innings and more a state-  In the end, this series wasn’t
                The Perth opener felt more    waves through the cricket world.   ment: “Crisis? What crisis?” Their
            like a batting hangover than a fresh   Xavier  Bartlett’s  lbw  struck  more   unbroken 168-run partnership wasn’t   about India winning a match; it was
                                                                                                                  about two icons winning back belief.
            start.  Rohit  scratched  and  scuffled   than his pads; it struck at the heart   about rescuing a series; it was about   They stumbled, stood tall, and re-
            to eight runs before Hazlewood    of belief that Kohli could defy time.   reclaiming an era. Rohit walked away   minded a restless cricket world that
            ended his misery. Kohli, meanwhile,   Rohit, on the other hand, showed   with Player of the Match and Player   greatness doesn’t go out of form, it
            produced an eight-ball duck, the   grit  over  glamour,  grinding  his  way   of the Series, but the real victory was   just takes a breather. As newer faces
            kind that makes statisticians tri-  to a hard-earned 73. It wasn’t pretty,   collective    two old warriors proving   knock on the door, it’s worth remem-
            ple-check their screens because it   but it was a pure fight. Yet, as India   they still write the soundtrack of In-  bering that you can’t replace an era;
            just doesn’t happen to him. It was a   slipped 0–2 down, the murmurs be-  dia’s white-ball story.     you  can  only  celebrate  it  while  it’s
            jolting reminder that even cricketing   came headlines: Had the kings lost   Together, Rohit Sharma and   still alive. Because as one cheeky fan
            gods can have mortal mornings. The   their crown?                   Virat Kohli have scored over 26,000   tweeted after Sydney: “The kings ar-
            narrative was set, the experts sharp-  Enter Sydney, the great reset.   runs in ODIs — a number so huge   en’t finished, they just woke up from
            ened their “decline” pieces, and the   Under those iconic floodlights, Rohit   it laughs at anyone suggesting it’s   a very expensive nap.”
            armchair selectors called for change   and Kohli didn’t just find runs; they   time to “move on.” Kohli has piled
            faster than an Indian batting col-  rediscovered rhythm, intent, and that   up 14,255 runs at an average of 57.41,
            lapse on a green top.             unmistakable aura. Rohit’s unbeaten   with 51 centuries, putting him just   Archan Mehta is a writer dedicated to
                Then came Adelaide and the    121 off 125 balls was a masterclass in   behind Sachin Tendulkar. His record   telling compelling stories about ath-
            drama went from concern to crisis.   timing and temperament, regal, re-  while chasing targets is so good it   letes, teams, and the world of cricket

                                                                   www.TheIndianEYE.com

| 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 |