NEW DELHI: Rohit Sharma mixed grit with grace to score a fighting 73 on a testing Adelaide surface, helping India post 264 for 9 in the second ODI against Australia on Thursday.

His 97-ball knock, built around a crucial 118-run partnership with Shreyas Iyer (61 off 77), rescued India after early blows saw skipper Shubman Gill (9) and Virat Kohli (0) depart cheaply.

'Main nahi de sakta hu yeh call': Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer's stump-mic banter steals the show

Axar Patel (44 off 41) provided a late spark, stitching a 39-run stand with Washington Sundar (12), while Harshit Rana (24 not out) and Arshdeep Singh (13) added a valuable 37 off 29 balls for the ninth wicket to push India past the 260 mark.

For Australia, Adam Zampa — returning after the birth of his second child — claimed 4 for 60, while Xavier Bartlett impressed with 3 for 39, including the prized wicket of Kohli.

Rohit’s innings was a story of perseverance. Early on, he battled a probing spell from Josh Hazlewood (0/29 in 10 overs), even playing 17 consecutive dot balls at one stage. Once settled, he showcased his trademark pull shots, notably hitting back-to-back boundaries off Mitchell Owen.

Though Rohit fell short of what could have been his 33rd ODI century, his knock reflected determination and a point to prove — that there’s still plenty of fight left in the veteran opener.

Kohli, meanwhile, fell for his second consecutive duck, trapped lbw by Bartlett. As he walked off, he acknowledged the Adelaide crowd — perhaps for the final time at a venue where he’s produced some of his finest innings.

India had earlier lost the opening ODI in Perth by seven wickets and will look to bounce back to level the series.

(With PTI Inputs)