Perth, 19 Oct

The grand comeback party of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma lasted just 22 balls combined, and their lowkey appearance reflected in India's underwhelming 136 for nine against Australia in the rain-affected first ODI here on Sunday.

If the constant rain breaks, which reduced the game to a 26-over-a-side affair, were not enough, India struggled to find any sort of momentum, except when KL Rahul (38, 30 balls) was in the middle.

Australia understandably chose to bowl first under grey skies, and the extra bounce on the Optus Stadium pitch also assisted them copiously.

Rohit (8) walked onto the pitch alongside new captain Shubman Gill to loud cheers from the Perth crowd, but he stayed in the middle for just 14 balls.

Rohit played a sumptuous straight drive off Mitchell Starc, a quick time ride back to the glory days. But that was that for the day for him, as Josh Hazlewood's ability to find steep bounce from the quarter length ended his tenure.

The ever-rising ball kissed the sticker of his bat and travelled to debutant Matthew Renshaw at second slip.

Kohli walked into the daunting stadium with even louder cheer, but the familiar ODI greatness was nowhere to be seen.

If anything, a habitual prod outside the off-stump off Starc revealed that the age-old weakness still persists.

It eventually consumed him. A drive on the up off the left-arm pacer took the edge of his bat and Cooper Connolly at backward point snaffled a wonderful catch to curtail Kohli's agonising eight-ball innings.

It was Kohli's first duck in Australia. The veterans need something substantial in the subsequent ODIs at Adelaide and Sydney to prove that they have the fire in them for a longer journey.

Unlike his senior colleagues, Gill looked assured but a rather casual attempt to flick Nathan Ellis resulted in a down the leg side catch to wicketkeeper Josh Philippe.

Shreyas Iyer, who played a marvellous square cut off Hazlewood to find the ropes, perished in the same way.

Hazlewood strangled him for space with another bouncer that he featured to Philippe as India slid to 45 for four in the 14th over.

Finally, India found their wheels moving through the 39-run fifth-wicket alliance between Axar Patel (31) and Rahul before the former fell to spinner Matthew Kuhnemann.

Rahul was quite impressive in his knock, dealing with the bounce getting over the ball nicely. The straight drive and pull off Ellis off successive balls for fours were an absolute treat.

Rahul slipped into overdrive once spinners were introduced, and slammed Matthew Short for two successive sixes.

Rahul and Washington Sundar added 30 runs for the sixth wicket but the limited number of overs affected India's acceleration in the backend.