Demi-gods' victory lap leaves Australia wanting more

If Todd Greenberg needed any more convincing of the potential value in bringing India's biggest stars to the Big Bash, Saturday night's final BKT Tyres ODI might have done it.

Hours before Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli pulled off vintage hands in front of a sold-out Sydney crowd, Greenberg was asked whether it was plausible that Cricket Australia could bring a player of their ilk to the BBL, especially in light of Sydney Thunder's recent Ravichandran Ashwin coup.

"I think in the short to medium term, I think it is realistic," CA's chief executive said on Saturday. "We're going to keep the dialogue open."

The noise emanating from the heaving SCG reached fever pitch during the evening as Rohit and Kohli, along with their fanatical supporters, turned a supposed dead rubber into a victory parade for two demi-gods playing what was almost certainly their final international games in Australia.

It was a reminder of the unmatched fervour the Indian diaspora have for the sport. It was also apparent just how much the game has changed over the course of the pair's careers.

When Rohit first played cricket on these shores 17-and-a-half years ago, a T20 International at the MCG, Australia's team sheet still boasted names like Adam Gilchrist, Michael Clarke and Brett Lee.

India's now coach Gautam Gambhir opened the batting for the visitors and the inaugural Indian Premier League was still months away from being held. The visitors were bowled out for 74 and Australia won by nine wickets – the same victory margin for India on Saturday.

Of the 81 men's internationals India have played in Australia since, only one (the 2020-21 Boxing Day Test) has seen their team sheet not have one of Rohit or Kohli's names on it, a span that includes eight bilateral tours and two World Cups.

There have been 17 Australian tons made between them (Kohli 12, Rohit's latest was his sixth) and close to 6,000 runs. Kohli himself has made more international runs in Australia (3,690) than Travis Head (3,540).

"I've always loved coming here," Rohit told Fox Cricket. "I enjoy playing cricket here in Australia. Fond memories of 2008 and nice way to finish getting that knock and getting that win as well.

"I don't know if we'll be coming back to Australia, but it was fun all these years that we played here. A lot of good memories, bad memories, but all in all, I'll take the cricket that I played here."

The clamour to see the pair's farewell was palpable hours before the day-night contest.

Waves of blue-clad fans were lining up on Driver Avenue well before midday to get into the ground in Sydney's spring sunshine. During India's warm-up, every Rohit catch and every Kohli throw-down was met with a rumble of approval. Scores of fans waited into the night to see them leave.

Kohli had been the villain on his early visits Down Under, famously sparring with paceman Mitchell Johnson during the 2014-15 series. Rohit had an ugly run-in with David Warner during the ensuing ODI series.

Here, the smiling Kohli put his arm around the neck of Warner before play on Saturday and later fist pumped his first run of the series, an unrecognisable figure to the one who had snarled back at Johnson over a decade ago.

That first single, a vintage clip to mid-on, had earnt one of the loudest cheers of the night, the levity heightened by Kohli making no attempt to hide his relief after he had bagged ducks in the first two matches of the series.

"You score so many runs in international cricket but then the game shows you everything even at this stage, almost 37 in not many days, and I feel like I don't know how to get a run," Kohli said.

Chants of 'Kohli, Kohli' had gone around the SCG shortly after he pouched a sharp catch at square leg, but the noise went to another level when he was called to the crease at dusk. The cheers began even before the departing batter, captain Shubman Gill, had gotten off the field.

If there was a patron in the Members' Stand not filming Kohli on their phone as he walked down from the dressing room and onto the field, they were difficult to spot. For many Australians of Indian descent, this was their last chance to see their heroes in action.

"Everyone knows Virat. There's a lot of following for him," Tanveer Sangha, the 11-time Australia representative whose father is from Punjab, said before the game. "A lot of people from every country have taken a lot out of (Kohli's career), especially (those) with Indian heritage.

"I don't know if there'll be another player like that."

In the end, it was the other former India skipper who shone brightest as Rohit pummelled an unbeaten 121 from just 125 balls. Kohli, the chase-master, was happy to play second fiddle in reaching 74no from 81.

"When we bat together, of course we understand we're probably the most experienced players now, but even back in the day, we used to think, if we have a big partnership, the kind of strokes we can play, we can really take the game away from the opposition," said Kohli.

"I think it all started from that 2013 series against Australia at home, when we really started getting those big partnerships together and really taking the game on from then on.

"It was pretty clear the opposition also knew if these guys are in for 20 overs together, any total is chaseable and the game's never done in the opposition's favour."

This week, Rohit reminded Gilchrist of their meeting back in 2008 in Adelaide. During that tour's ensuing ODI series, the pair were purchased by the Deccan Chargers (Gilchrist for US$300k, Rohit for half that) in the still-novel concept of an IPL auction. 

Australia's ageing stars like Gilchrist, Lee, Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting, and Glenn McGrath were some of the biggest drawcards of that maiden IPL season.

Now every T20 league wants to be the first to sign the likes of Rohit and Kohli, who are both retired from Tests and T20Is. Ashwin is a strong first step but it took him stepping away from the IPL as well as international cricket for it to happen.

"Ravi(chandran) Ashwin coming is a really important moment for the BBL and it will highlight the strength of bringing Indian players into the league," said Greenberg.

"What that manifests over time, I think, is to be seen. Some of that will depend on whether we take private capital into the BBL which is an open conversation for us at the moment.

"But I think you're going to see an enormous explosion of interest around the Thunder this year on the back of Ravi Ashwin playing.

"There's one thing the best leagues have all over the world in every sport – they have access to the best players, and the BBL should be no different to that."

Whether it is a pipedream or not, the overarching desire to create more nights like Saturday is a no-brainer.

Australia v India ODIs 2025

October 19: Australia won by seven wickets (DLS method)

October 23: Australia won by two wickets

October 25: India won by nine wickets