Storms crossed, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli gear up for second wind

Storms crossed, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli gear up for second wind As the road to the World Cup begins with ODIs against West Indies, two greats show signs of leaving no stone unturned as they gear up for a grand finish.

Key points

• Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma of India during the 1st ODI match between England and India at the Edgbaston, Birmingham, England on July 14, 2026.
• Only half the eye was transfixed on Kohli; the rest was dutifully on Rohit Sharma.
• The sullen sun over the Greenfield Stadium had sunk when Virat Kohli sashayed down the practice pitch and dispatched a net bowler's stingless half-volley over his head.
• A cover drive clanked onto the base of a pole.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma of India during the 1st ODI match between England and India at the Edgbaston, Birmingham, England on July 14, 2026. (CREIMAS).

Notably, the sullen sun over the Greenfield Stadium had sunk when Virat Kohli sashayed down the practice pitch and dispatched a net bowler's stingless half-volley over his head. The ball crashed onto water bottles piled on the edge of the boundary ropes, sparking a chorus of excitement from the impatient onlookers. After the nets wrapped up, the bowler frantically searched for the ball. It he eventually discovered, and slipped it into his bag.

Only half the eye was transfixed on Kohli; the rest was dutifully on Rohit Sharma. This person batted with the second batch after a brief rain interruption.

Sharma's freshly unwrapped willow unsheathed a straight drive so perfect in concept, balance, flourish, and placement that it narrowly eluded a wheelbarrow placed near the edge of the boundary line. A cover drive clanked onto the base of a pole. The nets here hug the centre pitch. It gives the illusion of a real game.

In short, storms crossed, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli gear up for second wind is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.