India vs Australia 2nd Test Preview: ‘If Kohli is the angry Bachchan, Rahane is Palekar’

12/25/2020 India, Sports, World


“If Kohli is the angry Amitabh Bachchan, then Rahane is the Amol Palekar of Indian cricket,” says former Mumbai player and coach Vinayak Samant, Rahane’s roommate on the national team.

Palekar is a man of substance and a talented actor who made a name for himself with kind, modest characters with a discernible middle class; aapla normal mulga (our normal boy), as they say in Marathi, words that would perfectly describe Rahane. With the pressure of diluted expectations in the absence of Kohli and Mohammed Shami, Rahane’s terrain has a pretty decent chance in the second round, particularly due to conditions in Melbourne (MCG’s field is expected to be a bit dry, and they don’t offer a pronounced bounce or excessive pace).

It is the image of Rahane that truly reflects this team of characters. They might dream of being Amitabhs and Kohlis, but analyzing the lineup, top to bottom, you don’t get the picture of any wacky heroes wading decks on fire. They are more like an ordinary man waiting for the local bus or train, ready to take a deep breath and jump into the seemingly insurmountable odds of everyday life. Like Rahane.

“He’s not the type to talk loudly or curse. You will speak sensibly even in extreme pressure situations. He doesn’t get hyperactive. He is the silent man like Palekar. I never remember him being loud. Even if he’s upset, it won’t show in his reaction. That’s their nature, ”says Samant.

There is a popular story in Indian costumes, shared by Rohit Sharma on the Breakfast with Champions program. Once, in Australia, veteran players convinced Rahane that he had to push back the Australians who were jabbing him. “Two or three players were riding it on a sled, saying ‘Fuck you, play shots and so on, Ajju went up to them and did it’ – Sharma imitated Rahane, sticking out his tongue and showing it to the player, and Sharma laughs. The count. ”Rahane doesn’t swear or reach for the middle finger, sticks out her tongue.

Rahane, the serious, sincere, somewhat shy person, who is always punctual, is known but does not say anything about what the captain would be like. Someone who watched him closely for two months recently is Mohammad Kaif, the assistant coach for Rahane’s IPL franchise, Delhi Capitals.

“I was really impressed. He is honest and trustworthy, two qualities that all players expect in a captain. He’s a team man, and that’s not empty praise. He couldn’t get into the XI of play in the opening games of this IPL and might have been disappointed, but he never showed it. He was the most eager to train, playing like a youngster, cheering on the rest. In games he willingly entered as a substitute and gave everything and increased the energy levels of the team. He has also often come running to give drinks, and even then shouted some words of encouragement.

“Total team spirit; players notice all this and are inspired. A vice-captain from India who doesn’t throw tantrums, but does everything with enthusiasm. In fact, I was the one who felt compelled to tell him that his name was discussed at every selection meeting and that we are trying to find a way to include him, etc. He never asked me once in our many breakfast talks or at any other time about why. he has not been elected, ”says Kaif.

Kaif was also impressed by the intelligence of cricket. “He doesn’t speak too much in team meetings, but every time he said something, his opinions were correct and therefore respected by everyone. It will also be good for young people like Mohammed Siraj; They will know that you will be patient with them and listen to them. My intuition is that he is the captain of a bowler; He would respect the individuality of the bowlers, ask for feedback and then make his own decision. “

Rahane began to trust his own instincts as a captain when he led Mumbai in the Cooch Behar U19 Trophy. It was a four-day game against Odisha, who needed 10 runs for a first-inning lead, with some ground in hand. In the past, he has talked about how he was confused whether to go with a spinner or a fast launcher, as there was a spin on the pitch and a low bounce. He supported his instincts and went with a fast pitcher, who took advantage of the low rebound to claim all the wickets and Mumbai took the lead. One of the main lessons he learned from the only test he’s captained before (against Australia in Dharamsala in 2017), he says, was to back up his own instincts. In 2015, he led India on a Zimbabwe tour for three ODIs and two T20Is, which also had a learning moment for him. In the first ODI, Bhuvneshwar Kumar defended 10 runs in the last over of the chase, conceding just five. That taught him the need to back, trust and support his teammates, he has said in the past.

“I think I would use R Ashwin very well,” says Kaif. “I had a feeling from the IPL that he knows and respects Ashwin’s skills very much, and in this MCG arena, I hope he turns to Ashwin quite early in the game.”

Aditya Tare, the captain of Mumbai, much younger than Rahane, also spoke about his strengths and his innate sense of decency. “He likes to talk to bowlers. He had maintained such decorum that he will not mess with the captain who runs this time. I always realized that you will continue to give ideas to bowlers, you will be playing close to them. He will play his role in silence, ”says Tare.

There is a perception that Rahane will not take a position on issues, preferring to avoid conflict, an opinion that is probably attributed to him because he barely spoke for himself when he was retired from the Indian ODI team.

Samant, who was Mumbai coach during Rahane’s captaincy phase, disagrees. “There is a misconception that he does not take a position. Some show it in public about the position they took and there are those who do it silently. Rahane is among the last. “

Former India starter Wasim Jaffer dismisses talks about perceived lack of aggression. “Without him, I couldn’t have played for India for so long. It’s like (Rahul) Dravid; He will not show it but he knows how to channel his aggression to the benefit of his game. Aggression does not mean using bad language or doing certain things openly; everyone is different. There are many calm but very aggressive individuals. Rahane is one of them. “

Jaffer doesn’t get carried away either. “He has the temperament of a captain, he has good judgment but it is still too early to judge him as a leader. You have done it in IPL, but there are other factors involved in IPL. Now we will know, over the course of three tests, how good it is. It will be a difficult situation; without Virat, without Shami, without Rohit either. It remains to be seen how he motivates his team. Everything is against him, the situation is adverse ”.

Kaif feels that the adverse situation will have a liberating effect on Rahane and company. “Look, no one expects miracles from him, especially after the way he missed the first Trial. But given the conditions at MCG, if you play slow and don’t have that fluffy tennis ball bounce seen in Adelaide, I think India has selected a good team, with Ravindra Jadeja inside. Not many will believe me, but I think that Rahane has a good chance of leading this team to a victory under these conditions. “

Bollywood may have long given up on Basu Chatterjee-type movies, but in the world of web series, we’ve seen a quiet comeback. A few days ago, the movie site IMDB released its 10 best web series of the year. Second on the list, behind the series on Harshad Mehta, was Panchayat, an idyllic show set in rural India, an A-type series Malgudi days meets Wagle ki Duniya. Perhaps, the time has come for Aapla Mulga Rahane, on the sports field.

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