Mitchell Marsh hopes for ‘not too much great cricket’ from Kohli and Rohit

Perth: Australia captain Mitchell Marsh is preparing for a blockbuster one-day series against India with a mix of excitement and good humour, admitting he hopes Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma don’t produce “too much great cricket” in what could be their final appearance on Australian soil.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s opening ODI at Optus Stadium — a sell-out fixture despite a 90 per cent chance of rain — Marsh said the series promised to be a special occasion both for fans and players. With over 1,75,000 tickets already sold across the three matches, anticipation is high as two of India’s modern greats return to Australian shores.

“Had the privilege of playing against them quite a lot over the journey. They are obviously legends of the game,” Marsh said. “Virat, especially in this white-ball format, is the greatest chaser ever. I think you can see why the ticket sales are so high and why a lot of people are coming to watch them. And if it is their last time on Australian soil, I hope they enjoy it and I hope people can witness — not too much great cricket from them — but witness two of the greats playing in Australia.”

Marsh, who will lead the ODI side in Pat Cummins’ absence due to injury, said captaining Australia at home was a privilege in itself.

“Any time you’re captaining your country is always a huge honour. Playing at home is always extra special and by all reports, it’s going to be a big crowd,” he said. “To see the stadium packed out against India, it’s going to be a great experience for our group.”

The series opener will also mark the start of Kohli’s swansong tour Down Under, with both he and Rohit having retired from Tests and T20Is to focus solely on one-day internationals as they eye the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Marsh also light-heartedly ruled himself out of any potential Test recall despite ongoing injury concerns around fellow West Australian Cameron Green and Beau Webster ahead of the Ashes next month.

“I’ve got tickets for day one and two. I haven’t asked the wife yet, so that’s about as much thought as I’ve given it,” Marsh joked.

Green, who has been managing side soreness, is expected to recover in time for the first Ashes Test in Perth. “He’s okay, it’s obviously on the very minor end and a cautious take on it, but he’s all good,” Marsh said.

Turning focus back to the white-ball challenge, Marsh emphasised the importance of a strong start on Sunday.

“Often you see Perth (Optus) Stadium can swing around with a new ball and both teams will be looking to do early damage on that wicket. Look across the board in the Big Bash, a lot of your biggest scores are back-ended,” he said. “I believe it’s going to be a high scoring affair, but getting through the first 10 overs for both teams will be a challenge and maybe where the game’s won and lost.”

–IANS