Ravi Shastri almost panicked when Virat Kohli said goodbye to Australia; blink and you'll miss it

Following the performance, Kohli and Rohit were called for a quick chat on Fox Sports with former cricketers Adam Gilchrist and Ravi Shastri, where the two talked about their 168-run stand for the second wicket — the first century stand between the two since January 2020, and about their memories of playing in Australia over their illustrious careers.

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At the end, Gilchrist, on behalf of Australia, thanked the two Indian batting legends, wished them luck for the upcoming matches, and expressed hope of seeing them at the 2027 ODI World Cup. His subtle comments seemed aimed at gauging their thoughts on the outside chatter about their place in India’s plans for the ICC tournament. But, for Gilchrist, the broadcasters, and viewers, both remained tight-lipped and offered no response.

In response to the question from the legendary wicketkeeper, Kohli started off saying, "No, we want to say thank you as well."

Now, if you rewind back to that exact moment when Kohli uttered those words, Shastri nearly panicked. There was almost a silent, "Noo.." that he said. The former India head coach probably felt Kohli was taking the opportunity to say goodbye to his international career, which was much in speculated over the last two months.

But then there was a sigh of relief after Kohli revealed that it was meant for the Australian crowd.

“We loved coming to this country and playing in front of such a big crowd. We played some of our best cricket here. Thank you so much for welcoming us here so well. You guys are brilliant, and we never felt short of support here,” he continued.

Rohit added, “Thank you, Australia!” as the two signed off.

Earlier, Rohit, who was named the Player of the Series, said that his connection with Australia goes beyond results. “I’ve had great memories here — from the SCG to Perth. I love playing here and hope to continue doing what I do,” he said, highlighting his enduring love for Australian cricket and its passionate crowds.

Kohli expressed the same feeling.

"You might have played international cricket for a long time, but the game teaches you something at every stage. Situations in the middle bring out the best in me. From early on, we've understood the situation well, that's what we've always done well (as a pair)

We're probably the most experienced pair now, but back in the day when we were young - we knew we could take the game away from them with big partnerships.

"It all started in 2013 (the home series against Australia), if we put up a big partnership, we know we'll go a long way in helping the team win,” Kohli said.

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