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Ashwin heaped praise on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for their superb display in Sydney on Saturday. (AP)
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli wound back the clock nearly half a decade when they brought up their first international century partnership since 2020 in an all too familiar ODI run chase against Australia in Sydney on Saturday evening. The series was gone, but the Indian legends showed that they still had plenty left in the tank with their performance and their former teammate R Ashwin too was all praise for the duo’s exhibition.
While Rohit cracked his 33rd ODI ton and 50th international century, Kohli buried the ghosts of the two ducks in the previous innings behind him with an unbeaten 74 that propelled him to second on the ODI run-scoring charts, behind Sachin Tendulkar. Ashwin remarked that the 38-year-old Rohit was able to seamlessly reinvent himself while Kohli found a way despite not looking in the best of touch.
‘Rohit, a million bucks’
“Rohit is looking proper fit and lean, he is able to run and is getting going. The quality of batting is always there, but if you are fit, you lose weight, you are able to feel light, your skill will take over. Rohit is looking a million dollars. He is looking all set and poised,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
"I don’t know if we’ll be coming back to Australia" 🥹
Since 2008, what a champion run it has been, #RohitSharma! 👏🔥 pic.twitter.com/dYghmYB1T3
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 25, 2025
“I do not understand why some people did not expect him to score. He has been one of your best white-ball batters over the decade or so. I was always very confident that he and Virat would both make runs. Virat was not at his best, but still he found a way to get those runs. The straight-drive he played was a sight to behold. All his fans will be very happy today.”
A career of three parts
Ashwin said he could segregate Rohit’s 18-year journey in the format into three parts. “The first is where he came in at first, he was talented and was batting in the middle. But he was not the Rohit he became when he opened for the first time in the 2013 Champions Trophy. But I feel this is 3.0 now. He played a very flamboyant style of cricket when he was captain, but under the current regime, you can see that 2013-2016 Rohit. I think he is going to continue churning these runs. He is moving nicely around the crease and looking light on his feet. This is a great sign for Rohit and India,” he said.
‘Virat enjoying himsel’
Ashwin also described that the soon-to-be 37, Kohli, seemingly enjoyed his time out in the middle, his first full-fledged hit out in the middle since the IPL 2025 final.
“Virat looked like he is properly enjoying himself. I think it is in his mind now that whatever he is playing now is a real gift for him and he has to enjoy this phase of his career. The whole stadium was clapping for him when he took the first single.”
English (US) ·