Rahane checked two very important boxes in style: Ajinkya the batter and Ajinkya the captain. He played one of the most crucial strokes in Indian Test history under difficult circumstances against a high-quality Australian bowling line-up and scored a match by winning 112, to take the Man of the Match award. He, too, with his calm and collected demeanor, displayed exemplary leadership skills in India’s victory back after the horror in Adelaide. His quietly aggressive captaincy style, field placements, pin changes and the decision to back rookies Mohammed Siraj and Shubman Gill in what was an extremely crucial test in the context of the four-round series have been praised by all.
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India entered Test 2 at MCG after an embarrassing defeat in Adelaide, which also saw the Virat Kohli-led team get knocked out by a meager 36 in their second inning, their lowest total of Test innings.
Kohli, who went on paternity leave after the Adelaide Test, handed over the captaincy witness to Rahane for the remainder of the series (three Tests) and the Mumbaikar delivered in his own style. Rahane showed great character to inspire India to a remarkable victory against Australia to level the series at 1-1.
Interestingly, Rahane, as the captain of the test, has a 100% win record. He has been captain of three events so far and won all three. The first was against Australia in 2017 in Dharamsala, when India won by 8 wickets and then against Afghanistan in Bengaluru in 2018. India won that match by one inning and 262 runs.
Rahane’s longtime coach and mentor Pravin Amre He praised the alternate captain of India and said his student has taken on the responsibility of being captain very well.
“If you ask me, I worked only with Ajinkya, the hitter. The captaincy or leadership quality is his. Virat is the captain and when he’s not, Ajinkya took over the duties. So I’ll give Ajinkya credit for being Ajinkya, the captain. Whether he’s hitting or leading the team, he’s so cool. That’s his style. Some are aggressive and some go over the board, but Ajinkya is calm and collected, “Amre told Timesofindia.com in an exclusive interview .
“Ajinkya is always ready with plans. Ajinkya has hit No. 1 and No. 6 as well. He’s always ready to hit in any position. He’s always team first for him. He’s always ready to get the job done.” Amre, who played 11 tests and 37 ODIs for India between 1991 and 1994, further said.
ADELAIDE’S NIGHTMARE AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR DEBUTANTS – GILL & SIRAJ
In the crucial second test match at MCG, two young men – pacemaker Mohammed Siraj and young opening hitter Shubman Gill received their test caps.
Playing their debut match in white, both Gill and Siraj justified their selections and impressed everyone with their performances.
Gill scored 45 (first inning) and 35 out (second inning) in MCG Test, while Siraj claimed five wickets in India’s victory. In fact, Siraj is only behind Lasith Malinga (6 wickets) for the majority of wickets taken by a foreign rookie in a test in Australia.
“The best thing I liked is how Ajinkya backed the two rookies. Supporting rookies Gill and Siraj in the crucial test at MCG was a very important decision for Ajinkya. His instinct was there that the two young men can deliver. Those two can deliver. guys were waiting for a long time and when they got the chance, they grabbed it with both hands. They’re cool and they don’t have any luggage with them, “Amre told TimesofIndia.com.
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“This is one of the most difficult phases for Indian cricket. You lost the first test and also lost 36. Someone had to take that responsibility. I’m glad that Ajinkya took on that responsibility. The Indian team misses Virat very much. because he’s the ultimate racing machine for the team. He’s had races on many tours, including Australia. He went on paternity leave. So from there, Ajinkya has taken on the responsibility and the captaincy role very well. He’s a captain, but it is very important for you to also act as a hitter, “he said.
“Ajinkya was number one as a captain and as a hitter. He played the dual role really well. He’s done a commendable job. He was involved in three major partnerships and that’s why we got over 100 runs ahead. He was an incredible win. Ajinkya and the team, as well as the fans, will remember this victory for a long time, “said Amre, who has coached Rahane since Rahane was 17 years old and remains his mentor.
THE WAY FORWARD FOR AJINKYA RAHANE IN THE TEST SERIES
The most important thing for Rahane the captain and the entire team will be to make sure they don’t rest on their laurels. The test of the day of San Esteban is now history. The bigger goal of trying to win the series and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is the top priority. Considering that Rahane’s call to the team was to show intention and character before the second test, we can hope that the Indian team will not drop the intensity. A victory in the Sydney test It could well be a coup de grace for Australians.
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There are also several changes to the game XI to consider. Rohit sharma, you could be given the green light to play. Who does it replace? KL Rahul is another contender for a Gaming XI spot. The team also needs a replacement for Umesh Yadav.
The two players most likely to give way are Mayank Agarwal, who has been struggling at the top of the order, having scored 17 and 9 in the first Test and 5 and 0 in the second and Hanuma Vihari, who so far has scores. 16. and 8 in the first Test and 21 in the second.
The team leadership, including Captain Rahane, will have some very important decisions to make before Test 3 in Sydney, which could well be the final match of the series.
“Ajinkya has to keep his statement: ‘stay in the moment.’ SCG test considering MCG’s victory as history. This is what I want to convey to Ajinkya. MCG’s victory is a great boost to team morale, but they need to look forward and live in the moment. Because you are playing in Australia and anything can happen. He won this test, but may lose the next two, “Amre told TimesofIndia.com.
“India therefore needs to be vigilant, produce good cricket to be a winner in Australia and, as Ajinkya says, ‘stay in the moment’,” concluded the 52-year-old former Indian cricketer.
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