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India star batter Rohit Sharma played a terrific knock of 121* as the Men in Blue cruised to a dominant 9-wicket victory over Australia in the third and final ODI of the series. He formed a humongous 168-run partnership alongside Virat Kohli (77*) that saw India chase down the target of 237 comfortably with 69 deliveries left. Though this victory will come as a major confidence booster for both Rohit and Virat, it didn't change India's fortune when it comes to the series as Australia won it by 2-1.
Following the conclusion of the match, Rohit ended speculations on whether this will be his last Australia tour or not. Ever since the series was announced, there have been speculations that this will be Rohit and Virat's final matches Down Under and they will announce their retirements before the Men in Blue's next white-ball tour to the country gets announced. Rohit remarked that though he loves playing in Australia, there is no guarantee as to if both he and Kohli will be back for another tour.
"Always love coming here and playing here. Fond memories of 2008. Don't know if we'll be coming back to Australia. We enjoy our cricket no matter what accolades we achieve. We started afresh in Perth. That's how I look at things," Rohit said after the match.
Rohit adjudged as POTM and POTS
Rohit was named the Player of the Match and the Player of the Series for his heroics in the assignment. Notably, he finished as the top scorer of the series with 202 runs in three matches. The 38-year-old remarked that even though they weren't able to come out victorious in the series, they will take home a lot of positives. He further reflected on how senior players helped him when he came into the squad and added that now it is his job to do the same for youngsters present in the current team.
"You expect tough conditions in Australia. Quality bowlers. Gotta understand things and try your best. Haven't played for a long time, good prep. Slightly confident coming in. We couldn't win the series - will still take a lot of positives. Young side, there will be a lot of learnings for them. When I came into the squad, I remember how seniors helped us, it's now our job to do the same," Rohit said in the post-match presentation.
"Never easy playing in Australia, just abroad. We need to share our experience, help them create game plans. I still go back to basics in Australia all these years. It's something I need to pass on. I love playing in Australia in general. I've had a decent memory in SCG - great pitch, ground and crowd. I love doing what I do and hope to continue to do that," he added.
Who will be India's next opponent in ODIs?
Meanwhile, Rohit and Virat will now be eyeing the upcoming three-match home ODI series against South Africa that will commence from November 30. This will be the Men in Blue's final one-day assignment of the year before they tour New Zealand in January for another three-match series.
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