Rohit, Kohli turn back clock as India crush Aussies in 3rd ODI

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli turned back the clock with a 168-run stand in what could be their Australian swansongs as India thrashed the hosts by nine wickets in the third one-day international on Saturday.

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a and Virat Kohli celebrate their win in the third ODI against Australia in Sydney on Saturday.

(Agence France-Presse)

Chasing a modest 237 to win, the visitors reached their target easily with 69 balls to spare at a sold-out Sydney Cricket Ground.

Rohit top-scored with an unbeaten 121, but the biggest roar was for Kohli, who made ducks in the first two games won by Australia at Adelaide and Perth which clinched them the series.

This time he was back to his best with a fluent 74 not out.

Like Rohit, he has retired from Test and T20 duties and with no more ODI series scheduled Down Under before the 2027 World Cup it was almost certainly their final innings on Australian soil.

"I don't know if we'll be coming back to Australia, but it was fun all these years that we played here,” said the 38-year-old Rohit.

“You know, a lot of good memories, bad memories. But all in all, I'll take the cricket that I played here.”

India made a confident start to the chase after Mitchell Marsh won the toss and batted first only for Australia to be bowled out for 236.