India, Oct. 19 -- Senior India batter Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been asked to take the MS Dhoni route to keep themselves in contention for a spot in the 2027 ODI World Cup squad after their poor return to international cricket on Sunday reignited the chatter around their career. Rohit managed just eight runs, while Kohli was dismissed for a duck in the opening game of the three-match ODI series against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth.

Playing his first international game since the Champions Trophy tournament seven months back, Rohit started off with a sumptuous straight drive off Mitchell Starc, a quick ride back to the glory days. But shortly after was dismissed by Josh Hazlewood's steep rising delivery, which kissed the...