Virat Kohli’s first outing with the bat in India colurs after over seven months lasted just eight balls in the first India vs Australia ODI in Perth on Sunday, and resulted in 0 runs. Speaking on Virat Kohli’s dismissal following India’s loss to Australia in the match at Perth, former Indian assistant coach Abhishek Nayar expressed confidence that the star batter will go back, reflect, study, and make plans and adjustments well ahead of the second ODI at Adelaide on Thursday.

Virat’s return to international cricket did not go as expected. While fans anticipated a well-calculated, dominant performance against Australia – an opposition he has traditionally thrived against – the reality was an eight-ball duck.

The Australians deprived him of easy singles by setting tight fields, while Mitchell Starc bowled with precision. An attempt to get off the mark with a flashy drive to an outside off-stump delivery marked the end of his stay at Perth, as a fantastic diving catch by Cooper Connolly left fans in shock-especially those who had waited months to see the legend score some runs.

Speaking on Cricket Live, JioStar expert Nayar said: “The discussion will always be around playing square of the wicket in Australia. With the extra pace, bounce, and lateral movement on offer, you want to let the ball come to you, play it late and behind the body. That is slightly different from what Virat has traditionally done here. He is someone who likes to take charge, walk towards the bowlers, and play in straighter areas. Today was a different challenge.”

“Mitchell Starc seemed one step ahead.

He didn’t go for the full and fast deliveries we’re used to seeing, but instead hit the pitch hard and went across the batter. Yes, there were definite plans against Virat. In white-ball cricket, unlike the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where there was more grass and movement, this was about variation in pace and angles. I am sure Virat will go back, study his videos, and look at adjustments. Maybe playing deeper in the crease or later towards third man could be better options. We saw him work on that during the BGT, and I’m confident he will reflect, adapt, and come back with better plans to deliver the runs we all expect from him.”

Virat falling to an outside off-stump delivery continued a pattern seen during his last Test series for India-the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia-where he repeatedly fell to the ‘outside off-stump’ trap, especially against Scott Boland.

However, the superstar batter will be aiming for a better outing at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday. He boasts a fantastic ODI record at the venue, with 244 runs in four matches at an average of 61.00, including two centuries. In T20Is, the other white-ball format, he has scored 204 runs in three matches at an average of 204.00, with three fifties and a best score of 90*.

In Tests at Adelaide, he has played five matches, scoring 527 runs at an average of 52.70, including three centuries and a fifty in 10 innings, with a best score of 141.

Coming to the match, India was put in to bowl first after Australia won the toss. The top order-Rohit Sharma (8), skipper Shubman Gill (10), Virat Kohli (0), and Shreyas Iyer (11)-struggled against Mitchell Starc (1/22) and Josh Hazlewood (2/20).

Team India’s rhythm was disrupted by multiple rain breaks, and the match was eventually reduced to 26 overs per side. A 39-run stand between KL Rahul (38 off 31 balls, with two fours and a six) and Axar Patel (31 off 38 balls, with three fours) provided some stability. KL Rahul then partnered with Washington Sundar to take India past the 100-run mark. It was Nitish Kumar Reddy (19* off 11 balls, with two fours) who took India to 136/9 in 26 overs.

Mitchell Owen and Matthew Kuhnemann also claimed two wickets each.

In Australia’s run chase of 131 (their revised target as per the DLS method), India got Travis Head (8) early. However, Mitchell Marsh (46 off 52 balls, with two fours and three sixes), Josh Philippe (37 off 29 balls, with three fours and two sixes), and Matt Renshaw (21* off 24 balls, with a four and a six) ensured a comfortable chase, as Australia reached the target in 21.1 overs with seven wickets in hand.