India beat Australia in final ODI, Rohit-Kohli rekindle 2013 magic

India ended their tour of Australia on a high note with a crushing nine-wicket win in the third ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground, chasing down Australia’s 236-run total in just 38.3 overs. The victory was powered by a record-laden partnership between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, backed by a disciplined bowling effort, and a déjà-vu moment for fans as their favourite duo stitched together an unbeaten stand to seal the win in the third match, reminiscent of their iconic partnership back in 2013.

After opting to bat first, Australia struggled to build momentum and were bowled out for 236 in 46.4 overs. Harshit Rana delivered a career-best 4 for 39, while Washington Sundar (2/44) and Axar Patel (1/18) provided crucial breakthroughs to keep the hosts under control.

In reply, Rohit Sharma starred with an unbeaten 121 off 125 balls — his 33rd ODI hundred and 50th international century overall — making him only the 10th cricketer in history to reach that landmark. His innings also marked his sixth ODI century in Australia, the most by any visiting batter, and his ninth against Australia, equalling Sachin Tendulkar’s record. Rohit’s century tally now stands at 12 in Tests, 33 in ODIs, and 5 in T20Is, making him the only male player with five or more hundreds in each format.

Virat Kohli complemented Rohit perfectly with a composed 74 off 81 balls, adding an unbroken 200+ partnership that ensured India cruised to 237/1. During his innings, Kohli surpassed former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, reaching 14,235 ODI runs — one more than Sangakkara — and became the second-highest run-scorer in ODI history, trailing only Sachin Tendulkar, who has 18,426 runs.

In limited-overs cricket overall, Kohli now leads with 18,437 runs across ODIs and T20Is, followed closely by Tendulkar at 18,436 and Rohit at 15,589.

Reflecting after the match, Rohit Sharma, named Player of the Match and Series, said, “That’s what you expect in Australia; it’s never easy. You’ve got to understand the situation. Haven’t played for a long time, but the prep was good. We couldn’t win the series, but we’ll take a lot of positives. There’ll be learnings for the youngsters — when I came first time, seniors helped me; now it’s our job to pass it on. It’s never easy to play abroad, but these guys are talented. I just go back to basics — that’s what works. I love playing here, especially in Sydney, with great memories and great crowds.”

Virat Kohli added, “You might’ve played international cricket for a long time, but the game keeps teaching you. Almost 37 now, but chasing always brings out my best. This partnership with Rohit — it’s built on understanding situations. We’ve always known that if we bat together, we can take the game away. It all started back in 2013 — play long partnerships, and the team wins. Loved the support from the crowd here; Australia always brings out something extra.”

Despite losing the ODI series, India’s emphatic win in the final match allowed them to avoid a whitewash and end the tour on a positive note. With Rohit reaching his 50th international century and Kohli climbing to second place on the ODI runs chart, the SCG victory highlighted India’s resilience, experience, and batting brilliance.