Their contributions were instrumental in ensuring that India did not collapse in Melbourne as they could well have.
It was no surprise that Ajinkya Rahane captained India without a hitch at the MCG; Anyone who saw him in charge in Dharamsala in 2017 would have recognized a man born to lead cricket teams.
There were many similarities between that 2017 match and the MCG one. First it was between the same two highly competitive rivals, then there was the valuable lower order contribution in the early innings of Ravindra Jadeja, and finally Rahane aggressively racked up the required runs in a nervous quest for a moderate win total.
The moment that caught my eye in the Dharamsala match was the moment when Rahane called Kuldeep Yadav, the debutant left arm wrist brace, when David Warner and Steve Smith were involved in a century-long partnership. “This is a brave move,” I thought, and it turned out to be very smart. Yadav quickly claimed the wicket from Warner, expertly caught by Rahane on the first slide, and this caused a five-wicket slide.
That’s part of Rahane’s success as a patron – he’s brave and smart. However, there is much more to your leadership than just those two important qualities. He is calm when things can easily get out of hand. He has earned the respect of his teammates, one of the most important aspects of a good captaincy. And he gets races when they are needed, which increases the respect his team has for him.
India knew that Virat Kohli’s valuable skills would be lost after the first test. In addition to the weight on Rahane’s shoulders, they suffered an abysmal collapse in Adelaide. As if that wasn’t enough, Rahane was responsible for Kohli’s exit in the early innings of that game, when India was sinking into a dominant position.
Despite all those deflating factors, India entered the MCG a week later, after Tim Paine won the draw, as if they had a 1-0 lead. In part that was because they knew that the Australian opening association was in crisis. They also knew that one man could not replicate Kohli’s supreme feats and that everyone involved would need an extra effort to overcome his absence. And finally, there was the captain who was highly respected; they wanted to play well for Rahane.
And boy, didn’t they do that? There was Jasprit Bumrah, excelling as usual at MCG, ambushing hitters regularly. R Ashwin, with his newfound confidence in Australian conditions, exerted his influence on Smith, a vital early terrain that further increased India’s confidence. Inspired by the elders, the newcomers, Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj, made significant contributions as they quickly adapted to Australian conditions.
Despite these valuable performances, it was Rahane’s contribution to the Johnny Mullagh medal that turned the party firmly in India’s favor. The captain’s century came at a time when India could have easily faded to a deficit of two to zero, and it was this performance that gave his team the conviction that victory was achievable.
A former Mumbai resident told me that his wife would lip-read Rahane and say the words “Come on India” when she reached her MCG century. That’s another thing that defines Rahane’s captaincy – it’s about the team.
At a time when aggressive and proactive international captaincy is in short supply, India is fortunate to have two leaders who understand the value of taking land rather than containing opposition.
This tantalizing series is far from over. India still has concerns about another fast bowling injury and a starting hitter in a quandary. Yet despite emerging from a disastrous meltdown in Adelaide, coupled with the departure of its best hitter and the loss of two leading fast pitchers, India has fewer selection problems than Australia.
It helps that they have a strong and calm leader and a vibrant spirit that has been built under the Kohli-Rahane-Ravi Shastri coalition.
If India continues to repeat the success of its last Australian tour, the Mullagh medal will not be the only gong Rahane receives.
Former Australia Captain Ian Chappell is a columnist
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