Sunil Gavaskar hails Virat Kohli’s match-winning knock in AUS vs IND 2025 3rd ODI

Legendary Sunil Gavaskar praised Virat Kohli for showing discipline in the third ODI against Australia at the SCG on Saturday. Kohli scored an unbeaten knock of 74 runs in the run-chase of 237 in the final game of the series after bagging two ducks in the first two matches.

The talisman added 168 runs off 169 balls with Rohit Sharma, who scored a fine knock of 121 runs. Gavaskar noted that Kohli didn’t fiddle with the outside off-stump delivery in the initial phase of his innings, which has led to his downfall in the recent past.

Sunil Gavaskar said on India Today, “He was looking to play a lot straighter. He didn’t fiddle at deliveries around the off-stump and played towards mid-on rather than towards square leg. That made a big difference because the straightness of the bat could clearly be seen.”

Meanwhile, there were a lot of doubts regarding Rohit and Kohli’s ODI future before the ODI series but both batters delivered in the third game. The Little Master said he can confirm that the veteran pair will be part of the ODI World Cup in 2027.

“The moment they made themselves available for this trip, it was clear that they wanted to be there for the 2027 World Cup. Irrespective of what happens between now and then, whether they score runs or not, with the kind of ability they have, if they are available, they are going to be certainties. And with this kind of form that they’ve shown, you can write their two names down straightaway as part of the Indian team for the World Cup in South Africa in 2027,” said Gavaskar (via the aforementioned source).

Kohli and Rohit have all the experience under their belt and they would want to carry the good form. Rohit and Kohli will be next seen in action in the three-match ODI series against South Africa.