India’s victory over Australia in the Boxing Day event has greatly impressed former Pakistani pacemaker Shoaib Akhtar. The legendary bowler has been praising alternate captain Ajinkya Rahane for the way he led tourists to level the series 1-1 after the Adelaide horror. During a conversation with Sports Today, Akhtar stated that the character displayed by the Indian players under Rahane’s “cool” captaincy is unmatched.
“I saw the game, one good morning, I woke up and saw that India was being beaten by Australia. I thought it was 369 and not 36 by 9. But it was 36 by 9. But you know, the characters are exhibited in crisis, ”he said.
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“The display of character from the Indian team is tremendous. I think this guy is so quiet and so calm. Ajinkya Rahane doesn’t yell or do nasty things on the field, he just stays quiet and does his thing, which is the cool captaincy. Under his leadership, the boys suddenly acted. “
Akhtar went on to talk about how India seized the opportunity and made a brave comeback in the absence of players like Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami. “Regardless of what I say about Ravi Shastri, Ajinkya Rahane and the team, the strength of India is not the people playing on the field, it is the strength of the bench. They took the opportunity and came out and acted, ”added Akhtar.
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“Taking a beating in one test and then coming back and winning the next test comprehensively shows the character of the team and the management. And at the same time, people are out there to win the test. “
With the series tied and two more test matches to go, the Pakistani legend wants to experience some more interesting matchups in the rest of the games. The return of Rohit Sharma and David Warner is sure to make the series even more exciting, while it will be extremely crucial to see Australia bounce back after the loss at MCG.
“Who would have thought 10 or 15 years ago that Australia would be beaten by India or Pakistan or some other team from the subcontinent? Now it is happening. Now, I want to see this series full of confrontations. I want India to win the series because she has made a great comeback. And they have shown great character and great courage. Ajinkya Rahane’s hundred are just change, ”said Akhtar.
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