India and Australia are all set to meet on the cricket field in a three-match ODI series beginning on 19th October. The series will witness a large number of high-quality players, but two of the major attractions will undoubtedly be Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Rohit has lost the ODI captaincy, and the question is if the two greats are going to play long enough to make it to the 2027 World Cup.
Therefore, their performances will most likely be under scrutiny, and if they fail, it may mean the end of their careers. It would be then worth to see how the formidable Australian bowling side fares against them. Hence, in this article, we will talk about those three Aussie bowlers who are capable of disturbing the rhythm of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Adam Zampa
Pacers have traditionally been the leading bowlers in Australia. However, Adam Zampa has been one of the best white-ball bowlers in the world for many years now. He owes his success to his variation and accuracy, which have also caused major trouble for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Zampa has removed Rohit Sharma four times in 128 balls, whereas he has gotten the better of Virat Kohli in ODIs for six times.
Kohli has been one of the number three batters who have scored a lot of runs against Zampa. Still, the Australian spinner has also managed to take his wickets during the middle-overs period, the time when many bowlers find it difficult to get the better of Virat Kohli in the ODIs.
Josh Hazlewood
Josh Hazlewood, who has been suffering from injuries recurrently, is now fighting fit and very gradually climbing back to his peak. He is recognized for his precision, and thus might create discomfort for both Rohit and Kohli with that corridor of uncertainty that comes up in the pitches and may get some assistance.
He has been a pretty good wicket-taker against Virat Kohli in ODIs through all these years. He has got rid of the Indian superstar five times, and Kohli has been able to score just 58 runs off 98 balls against him. Moreover, Kohli has been seen having difficulties in facing the ball that is not delivered close to the line of the off-stump, and Hazlewood can use this fact for his advantage in the forthcoming games.
Rohit’s head-to-head record against Josh Hazlewood is stronger, yet the bowler’s knack to extract bounce from the pitch with the new ball might be the downfall for the ex-Indian skipper. Also, Rohit has been batting quite aggressively at the start of the innings in the limited-overs formats, which could clash with the line and length strategy of Josh Hazlewood.
Mitchell Starc
The X-factor for Australia in the past decade has recently hanged his boots off T20Is, however, he is still a match-winner and can ruin the opposition’s plans single-handedly. He has got the better of Rohit Sharma thrice in the ODIs, and Virat Kohli only once. Nonetheless, Starc, using his left-arm angle and the power to swing the ball into the right-handed batsman, can be a threat.
