2 Indian players who flopped and 1 who starred in the 2nd ODI vs Australia ft. Virat Kohli

India's tour of Australia continued its poor start as the Men in Blue went down by two wickets in the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday, October 23. Shubman Gill and Co., who lost the series opener in Perth, now cannot win the three-match rubber.

Only two batters crossed the 40-run mark for India, while none of the bowlers picked up more than two wickets. The visitors have been far from their best Down Under so far and desperately need to turn their fortunes around.

On that note, here are two Indian players who flopped and one who starred in the second ODI against Australia.

---

#3 Flop - Virat Kohli

Australia v India - ODI Series: Game 1 - Source: Getty

For the second game in a row, Virat Kohli bagged a disappointing duck. This time, he lasted just four balls, trapped in front by a Xavier Bartlett delivery that moved in and caught him playing across the line.

Kohli doesn't seem very confident right now, and his match sharpness seems to have been affected by his long hiatus from top-level cricket. The former skipper has one game remaining on his tour of Australia to find form, but if a return to one of his favorite venues in Adelaide didn't help, it's hard to see how he'll have much more luck in Sydney.

---

#2 Star - Rohit Sharma

Australia v India - ODI Series: Game 2 - Source: Getty

In contrast, Rohit Sharma fought through a rocky start and ensured that he hung in there. The opening batter wasn't in top gear at any stage of his innings, forming an important partnership with Shreyas Iyer after India lost two wickets inside the first seven overs.

Rohit was his classy self against pace. Although a few ungainly slogs threatened to cut his innings short against the new ball, he came into his own and essayed a few trademark pulls. Another half-hearted pull saw the veteran batter dismissed, but not before he had made an important 74 for a struggling Indian batting unit.

---

#1 Flop - Shubman Gill

Australia v India - ODI Series: Game 2 - Source: Getty

Rohit's opening partner and the other member of the famed top three, Shubman Gill lasted just nine balls in Adelaide. He played a delightful drive through the cover region but attempted one shot too many, finding Mitch Marsh at mid-off.

Gill needed to give himself more time. The Aussie bowlers were on top in the powerplay, and India don't seem solid enough in the batting department for their captain to adopt such a risky approach inside the first few overs.

Moreover, Gill's bowling changes were disappointing. He fed pace to Matt Short and Matt Renshaw when they were starting their partnership, and his usage of Nitish Kumar Reddy was unnecessary at the time.