Images from the third ODI between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.
Rohit Sharma struck his 50th international hundred and Virat Kohli played time-bending knock in possibly their last outing in Australia, propelling India to a consolation nine-wicket victory in the third and finak ODI, in Sydney, on Saturday.
After Harshit Rana-led bowlers restricted Australia to a below-par 236, Rohit (121 not out) and Kohli (74 not out) stitched a 168-run alliance in just 170 balls for the second wicket as India cruised to 237/1 in 38.3 overs.
Australia won the three-match series 2-1 but Rohit and Kohli gave the ecstatic Sydney crowd precisely what they wanted, while unfurling archetypal innings and in the process saved the team from an embarrassing whitewash.
Rohit was all fluency and wholehearted shot-making, and Kohli resembled a mathematician solving a puzzle with meticulousness.
Once skipper Shubman Gill returned to the hut after helping his senior partner to milk 69 runs for the opening wicket, Rohit took over the chase in his inimitable manner and went on to produce his 33rd ODI century. He brough up a landmark 50th century in international cricket, including 12 Test and five T20Is hundreds.
Starting with a couple of silken-smooth drives and flicks off Mitchell Starc, Rohit slipped into his punishing self once Adam Zampa was introduced.
The 38-year-old slog-swept Zampa for a six to nullify Australia's already weakened spin department, and followed it up with a wonderful inside out six over covers off the leg-spinner.
Kohli played trademark straight drive off Starc for a four after getting off the mark with a single, which he celebrated with a smile and punch, a small atonement for the two preceding successive ducks.
But soon Kohli found his groove, galloping for those quick singles interspersed with occasional boundaries.
Nathan Ellis took the DRS after hitting Kohli's pads, and the veteran batter heaved a sigh of relief after the TV umpire concurred with the on-field umpire's not out decision. Kohli was on 36 then.
Rohit brought up his fifty soon in 63 balls and the next 50 flowed in 42 balls as the Mumbai man batted with panache and aggression in equal measure.
Kohli, who made his fifty off 56 balls, soon had his old mate a tight embrace as Rohit went past his 33rd ODI hundred in 105 balls.
A few overs, later Kohli slammed Ellis for a four to take the match to its logical conclusion and the Australian players crowded around him and Rohit to congratulate them.
The Sydney crowd also had their fill while watching Rohit and Kohli, but there will be a tinge of sadness in their hearts.
They might not get another look at them on these shores. But the last sighting of RoKo was worthy to freeze forever in their memories.
Before the two old boys went about their business in their respective ways, the Indian bowlers led by Rana (4/39) limited the Aussies to a sub-par total.
Earlier, Matt Renshaw displayed his newly-acquired white ball proficiency with a fine fifty, but the Harshit Rana-led India bowlers struck at regular intervals to restrict Australia to an underwhelming 236.
Batting by choice, the Aussies failed to construct regular partnerships against a tidy effort by the Indians with the ball and on the field, particularly in the middle overs when spinners choked the run flow.
Pacer Rana was impressive during his four-wicket haul (4/39), a spell in which he generated good pace and bounce off a fresh SCG turf.
The first-wicket stand of 61 between skipper Mitchell Marsh (41) and Travis Head, and a 54-run association between Renshaw (56) and Alex Carey kept the hosts afloat, but that was not enough to carry the hosts to a bigger total.
Marsh and Head played some typically powerful shots around the wicket. The former had even smoked Prasidh Krishna for a pulled six.
But Head guided a rather innocuous delivery from Mohammad Siraj straight into the hands of Prasidh at backward point.
That sharpness on the field soon became the feature of India's fielding on the day. The catch Virat Kohli took at backward point to get rid of Matthew Short off Washington Sundar could be counted among the best reflex catches.
Shreyas Iyer bettered that effort with a running catch to oust Carey. The wicketkeeper-batter tried to loft Rana, but a leading edge took the ball to the opposite direction.
Shreyas hared off from point and covered a fair bit of distance to make a diving catch, though he suffered a minor injury in the attempt.
Axar Patel worked his magic in between to dismiss Marsh, as a delivery that came in with the angle breached the West Australian's defence to disturb the stumps.
But Renshaw batted with assurance at one end, showing that he has eventually come to terms with the demands of white ball format nearly a decade after making his Test debut.
His focus was on taking singles and twos to wriggle out of the squeeze that the Indian bowlers applied in the middle overs, and his first boundary came off the 35th delivery.
The left-hander fetched his fifty off 48 balls despite hitting just one four, but could not extend his stay.
Washington beat his little shimmy with a quicker one and pinged his pads to win a leg-before appeal.
Mitchell Owen and Mitchell Starc did not last long either as Australia slipped to 201 for seven.
A couple of cameos down the order gave their total a touch of respectability.
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