Adelaide | Rohit Sharma's defiant 73 went in vain as India surrendered the three-match ODI series against Australia after losing the second game by two wickets here on Thursday, a setback that will reignite the debate on the proven match-winner Kuldeep Yadav's omission from the playing XI.
Under pressure, Rohit mixed grit with grace in a 97-ball knock on a spicy track that formed the cornerstone of India's total of 264 for 9 which was at least 25 short of what should have been a par-score.
In reply, Australia struggled against Indian spinners but with Nitish Reddy being shoe-horned as a multi-skilled player instead of a genuine match-winner in Kuldeep, the visitors paid the price in a close situation.
Cooper Connolly (61 not out off 53 balls) and Mitchell Owen (36 off 23 balls), two cricketers, who are also appearing for IPL auditions, flayed the pacers and spinners alike as Australia survived a late collapse to canter home in 46.2 overs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three match series.
The duo added 59 in just 6.3 overs to end Australia's three-series losing streak in the format. The ongoing rubber will end in Canberra with the inconsequential third ODI on October 25.
Connolly, who was recently in Kanpur for an 'A' series, brought back memories of a certain Michael Bevan to finish the match by finding the gaps with ease in a pressure-cooker scenario.
In the process he also exposed how difficult it could get for India in the 2027 World Cup if the obsession with all-rounders is not reconsidered.
Reddy, coming in at No.8, scored 8 off 10 balls and gave 24 in three overs although in his defence, Axar Patel dropped a sitter offered by Matthew Short (74), who laid the foundation for Australia's victory.
However, the absence of Kuldeep was felt more than ever when the Australian batters struggled against the two finger spinners.
Axar Patel (1/52 in 10 overs) just slowed the pace and shortened the length as Matt Renshaw (30) gave the charge to be bowled.
At the other end, Washington Sundar (2/37) had an impatient Alex Carey (9) trying to sweep and getting bowled in the process.
However, once the burly Mitchell Owen came into the scene, he smashed the daylights out of Harshit Rana (2/59 in 8 overs) to tilt the game decisively in favour of Australia.
Earlier, the Indian innings was about Rohit's determination and he had to survive a lot of anxious moments in the Powerplay when Josh Hazlewood (0/29 in 10 overs, including two maidens) made the ball talk.
There was a point when Rohit had played 17 consecutive dot balls off Hazlewood and both him and Iyer looked overtly cautious due to the underlying moisture and lateral movement.
While Rohit fought, Virat Kohli was dismissed without scoring for a second consecutive game.
He was shaping for an outswinger but Xavier Bartlett got one to move in sharply after pitching and the maestro was caught plumb in front.
While leaving the ground, he acknowledged the fans at Adelaide, a venue where he has scored multiple Test hundreds and a World Cup century against Pakistan.
For Rohit, the first 50-odd balls were about consolidation and keeping the bat close to his body, trying to leave the deliveries on the length and taking a few on the body.
The only positive shot in that phase was a flicked boundary over square leg off Mitchell Starc.
The first time one got a glimpse of vintage Rohit was when he played back-to-back customary pick-up pulls off Mitchell Owen's friendly medium pacers.
India got 17 from that over and with Iyer also rotating the strike with an upright stance, the scoreboard suddenly saw movement and momentum.
The innings was, however, far from silken smooth.
It was about a veteran, who wanted to make his naysayers eat humble pie. He was ready to grind it out and look ugly initially before eventually opening up.
The 2027 World Cup is still far but what Rohit intended to prove was that there is still some fuel left in the tank.
Once the initial phase was negotiated, Rohit didn't look in any kind of discomfort. The slog sweep and inside out boundaries off Zampa reminded one of his salad days.
There was enough time for a 33rd ODI hundred but the swivel off his hips while trying to deposit Starc over the square leg boundary became his undoing.
While Rohit got much-needed breathing space, Kohli continued to be under pressure and left the ground raising his fist for the Adelaide spectators who probably saw the last of him.
It is not the first time that Kohli scored consecutive ducks but it seems that the intensity that added to his legend has diminished considerably.
Brief Scores:
India: 264/9; 50 overs (Rohit Sharma 73, Shreyas Iyer 61, Axar Patel 44; Adam Zampa 4/60, Xavier Bartlett 3/39) lost to Australia 265/8; 46.2 overs (Matthew Short 74, Cooper Connolly Washington Sundar 2/37, Arshdeep Singh 2/41, Harshit Rana 2/59) by two wickets.
