When Indian veteran Virat Kohli recorded consecutive ducks in the opening two ODIs of the three-match series against Australia, his eagerly awaited comeback to international cricket became a nightmare. Both Rohit Sharma and Kohli made their comebacks to the Indian team after a seven-month hiatus, but only one of them was able to contribute.
In the second ODI, Rohit made amends with a 73-run hammer, but Kohli suffered a rare slump, going scoreless in back-to-back games. In the meantime, India lost both games and gave Australia the ODI series before the last game on Saturday in Sydney.
Even though Kohli struggled at bat, he still had an impact on the field in the second ODI.
The dangerous Travis Head, who appeared menacing during Australia’s pursuit of 265 runs, was dismissed thanks in large part to his keen game understanding. Head was batting at number 28 when, just after an intriguing conversation with Kohli, bowler Harshit Rana produced a delivery that proved to be his undoing.
In a social media footage that went viral, Kohli was seen placing his arm around Head’s shoulder and spoke with him just before the wicket. A few seconds later, Head misjudged a drive off Rana’s delivery, which sent the ball skyward and into Kohli’s secure hands at mid-off. India’s spirits were momentarily raised by the dismissal, which resulted in an important breakthrough.
Virat Kohli’s strategic distraction! Travis Head was out next ball. Master of the mind games. 😉
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#CricketFever pic.twitter.com/DBWtp9q9j8— Umesh patel (@umesh_pate26949) October 24, 2025
The wicket did not, however, change the outcome of the game because Australia won by two wickets after successfully chasing down the target in 46.2 overs. Matthew Short led the home team in scoring with 74, and Cooper Connolly led his team home with 61, remaining undefeated.
Australia has already secured a 2-0 series win, and the hosts will aim to complete a perfect sweep in the final ODI. Both teams will play each other in a five-match T20I series after the ODI series is over, with India hoping to recover and get back on track.
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