Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif showered praise on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli after India won the third ODI against Australia by nine wickets at the SCG on Saturday. After bagging two ducks in the first two matches of the series, Kohli scored a brilliant knock of 74 runs off 81 balls.
Kohli scored his 75th fifty in ODIs and batted at the top of his game. The talisman made the most of his experience to get back into form and played a key role in India’s comprehensive nine-wicket win in the third game. Kohli added 168 runs off 169 balls with Rohit Sharma.
On the other hand, Rohit scored an unbeaten knock of 121 runs off just 125 balls. This was Rohit’s 33rd ODI century as he batted at the top of his game and squashed any rumours regarding his ODI future. Rohit scored 13 fours and three sixes in his brilliant knock as he once again delivered for the team.
Rohit scored 202 runs in three matches of the series at an average of 101 and thus bagged the Player of the Series award.
Kaif said there are a lot of people who want Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to fail.
“They know that there are people waiting for them to fail. (On the host asking who are those people) The selector and some people from the media. Ab to zid bhi hai Rohit Sharma ki Virat Kohli ki. They will be determined not to give anyone a chance to remove them from the team,” Rohit said on his YouTube channel.
On the other hand, Kaif sensed that the veteran duo ignored head coach Gautam Gambhir after the third ODI.
“Virat Kohli was talking to someone on the phone after the match. Rohit Sharma also walked past Gautam Gambhir after collecting the Man of the Match and Man of the Series trophies. They might have exchanged smiles, but he walked past him. We can clearly see that they have decided that their respect is in their own hands now. Life has come full circle for both of them. When you are a new player, you know that nobody is going to support you, and you must perform to stay in the team. They have the same approach again towards the end of their career. It’s like, ‘Yaha koi dost yaar nahi hai, main Hindustan ke liye khelunga’ (There are no friends here, I will play for India),” Mohammad Kaif said.
Rohit and Kohli will be next seen in action in the three-match ODI series against South Africa.
