Rohit Sharma Falters on Comeback, Scores Eight in 500th International Game

Rohit Sharma made a subdued return to international cricket, managing just eight runs in India’s series opener against Australia in Perth. The experienced opener, resuming his role as a specialist batter after stepping down from captaincy, struggled against Australia’s pace attack, ultimately falling to Josh Hazlewood.

Playing his first match since the 2025 Champions Trophy, Rohit lasted only 14 balls. On the fourth ball of the fourth over, Hazlewood bowled a perfect delivery on the fifth stump line, which Rohit attempted to drive through cover but edged to slip, where Matt Renshaw held a straightforward catch.

The 39-year-old was playing his 500th international match, becoming only the fifth Indian to reach the milestone, joining Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Rahul Dravid. He needed 54 more runs to surpass former captain Sourav Ganguly (11,221 runs) and become India’s third-highest ODI run-scorer, but could manage only four.

Having retired from Tests and T20Is, Rohit now focuses solely on ODIs, but his performance in Perth raises questions about his long-term future in the 50-over format.

Series Opener Highlights

India handed a debut to Nitish Kumar Reddy in the first ODI, with Rohit presenting the cap to the young all-rounder. Australia fielded a refreshed lineup, including Matt Renshaw, wicketkeeper-batter Josh Philippe, and newcomers Mitch Owen and Cooper Connolly in the middle order.

Newly-appointed India captain Shubman Gill, who led the team in Rohit’s absence from captaincy, opted to bowl first in overcast conditions. He stressed the importance of mental preparation and praised the team’s balance of experienced players and emerging talent.

“It’s all about getting mentally ready. We were playing in India and then travelling here for a couple of days of practice, which helped us adjust to the local conditions. We have a great combination of experienced players and some of the gun players in our team. Nitish Reddy makes his debut, and we’re going with three fast bowlers and three all-rounders,” Gill said at the toss.