NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s arrival at the crease during the third and final ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday was met with a mix of awe, nostalgia, and emotion. It wasn’t just Indian fans who were captivated — even the Australian crowd and commentators were moved by what could be the legendary duo’s final outing together on Australian soil.“Standby, because while the skipper is departing, the king is about to arrive for the very last time on Australian shores in Indian colours. Ladies and gentlemen… here he is, Virat Kohli,” said Adam White on SEN Cricket.
“As you’d expect, as we always see, he marches out with purpose. Arguably the best one-day record in the history of the game.”Trent Copeland added, “You got to pinch yourself occasionally, don’t you Whitey? That we’re here for this moment. This guy has been at the centre of seismic shifts in cricket. Unquestionably the best one-day record.”Rohit Sharma (121 not out) continued his fine form from Adelaide, producing an even more flawless knock to register his 33rd ODI hundred. The former India skipper now sits third on the list of most centuries in the format, behind Kohli (51) and Sachin Tendulkar (49).Kohli, after back-to-back ducks in the first two ODIs, bounced back with an unbeaten 74. As the two walked back to the pavilion following India’s nine-wicket victory, the SCG crowd erupted in applause — and an emotional Australian commentator was even seen in tears. The videoquickly went viral on social media.Kohli’s knock also helped him surpass Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer in men’s ODI history, with 14,255 runs in 305 matches — trailing only Sachin Tendulkar.
