NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli’s back-to-back ducks on his return to international cricket have become a major talking point, with fans and experts hoping to see the star batsman regain his rhythm in the third and final. ODI against Australia in Sydney on Saturday.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri issued a warning to Kohli, urging him to quickly find form as competition for places within the team intensifies. Shastri also noted that Kohli appeared a bit tentative with his footwork during the second ODI in Adelaide.

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“He’ll have to get some form pretty quickly. The competition for places is such in India in white-ball cricket, no one is going to relax, whether it’s Virat or Rohit or anyone in the team. It’s not going to be easy, there is competition. He missed out again today, he was a little tentative with his footwork. It doesn’t happen often, his record in one-day cricket is phenomenal, so for him to get two ducks on the trot, he’ll be disappointed.” Shastri said while commenting on Fox Sports during the second ODI.

Ahead of the first ODI in Perth, Kohli spoke candidly about how the break has helped rejuvenate him both physically and mentally.

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“To be honest, the amount of cricket I’ve played over the last 15–20 years, I’ve actually never rested,” Kohli told Shastri and Adam Gilchrist in a conversation for Fox Cricket. “I’ve probably played the most number of games in international cricket over that period, including the IPL. So for me, this was a very refreshing time off.”

The star batter added that he now feels fitter and sharper than ever.

“I’m feeling as fit, if not fitter, than I’ve ever been before,” he continued. “You can feel that freshness when you get back to the game. Mentally, you know exactly what to do out there – it’s just about making sure your physical preparation is spot on.”