When Ajinkya Rahane last captained India in a test against Australia in March 2017, he was in that phase of his career where he could do little wrong. Thrown into the lead in the final deciding game of an intensely contested series following Virat Kohli’s injury, the Mumbai player led India to an impressive victory. He batted aggressively and captained cunningly, impressing experts with his manhandling and tactical awareness.
Just when everyone expected his position on the team to be absolute certainty, his career hit a bumpy road. Some of the situations were tough and would have made you wonder, “why me”?
That shaky phase began in January 2018. Despite an impressive record overseas, Rahane was left out of the first two tests in South Africa, in Cape Town and Centurion-India lost both. They won the third in Johannesburg, after he was belatedly called up.
He was ignored for the 2019 World Cup, not even considered as a replacement due to injury despite India’s struggle to find a number 4. Rahane also had a bad moment in the IPL that preceded the World Cup afterwards. the Rajasthan Royals firing him as skipper mid-season. Things did not improve despite the move to Delhi Capitals. In a scramble for spots, the senior player was left doing the 12th man duties in the first half of the 2020 IPL. And there was half a century in the nine games he finally played.
Without even analyzing whether he deserved those struggles, or how good a player he is, one thing can be said: Rahane’s sincerity and respect for the game even in those difficult times. For his coach Pravin Amre, the former hitter from India, the game has rewarded him for these two qualities in Australia.
“He is an example of respect for the game at all times. Even when he was not a member of the Delhi Capitals team, coach Ricky Ponting mentioned his work ethic and commitment to the game; It may be that sometimes God returns you too. When he was not on the team, he worked hard and respected the game, that’s very important. For 13 tests he was in reserve before he got a chance on the Indian team, a lot of players came from behind and played (I can relate because I was 12th man in 11 tests). It has not been an easy journey for him; It has been a lot of work being in this position, ”Amre said.
Amre is referring to the 32-year-old’s stint as a backup skipper in Australia after Kohli’s return home on paternity leave. It will be a moment of pride Saturday morning for Rahane, one that should end much of the pain suffered over the past three seasons. There is no grander setting in world cricket than the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground. Going out and diving in the Indian jacket is every cricketer’s ultimate dream. It can be said that it is his favorite place in Australia. He played one of his best shots here, scoring 147 on his first visit in 2014, when he dominated a 262-run fourth-wicket tier with Kohli (169). On one day too, Rahane’s best innings at the 2015 World Cup came at MCG, 79 of 60 balls against South Africa.
“It is a proud moment for me to lead India, obviously it is a great opportunity, responsibility too, but I don’t want to take any pressure. I think what I want to do is get back to my team. So the focus is not on me, it’s about a team and how we want to do well as a team. We’re focusing on that, ”said the middle-order hitter.
However, the leadership role could not have come to Rahane at a more challenging time. While Kohli’s absence has left a big hole in hitting, Mohammed Shami’s injury has upset the balance of the bowling lineup. How you organize your resources, how it affects pin changes, and field locations will be closely monitored.
Amre says that Rahane demonstrated his leadership in Dharamsala. “It is not the first time that he does that. In the 2017 series, we were one down, then he played well in Bengaluru … It was a series at home, there was still pressure and it came down to the final game. He led the winger, won the game and the series. It was a unique game, while this time he knows he will lead almost the entire series, “said Amre.
For Rahane, the lesson he learned from the 2017 test was the importance of “backing up his instincts as a captain, staying calm under pressure, just supporting his own methods that I really focus on.”
Rahane is known for his calm demeanor. Ishant Sharma described him as a “bowling captain” in an interview with ESPNcricinfo on Wednesday.
STRIKE RATE PROBLEM
In that game, India chased a fourth-inning low total and lost two early wickets. Rahane counterattacked with 38 unbeaten on 27 balls to settle the game and the series. In fact, Rahane’s shift in hitting approach is also seen as a reason for his recent lean phase. In the test series in New Zealand earlier this year, he spent a lot of time on the fold but couldn’t force the pace. His strike rate in all four innings was 33.33 (46 of 127 balls), 38.67 (29 of 75), 25.93 (7 of 27) and 20.93 (9 of 43). On the 2014-15 Australian tour, the strike rate was 63.54.
After the New Zealand tour, former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar noted that Rahane was swinging the bat too much on the backlift. Although he didn’t get many runs, coming out playing his shots, he dominated the IPL and Adelaide’s first innings (42) after his century in a warm-up game.
Comparisons are inevitable with Kohli’s leadership style. Amre said: “It’s like John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg, two different personalities, but they both give you the best results. Ultimately, both will make the decisions that the team wants. We cannot ask Rahane to become Kohli or ask Kohli to become Rahane. ”
Their challenge will be huge at the MCG, after India was beaten by their lowest test score of 36, not Adelaide. “When you represent India, you are like a soldier. It is a situation like that of Kargil, the opposition is up and it is an uphill task. They must always remember what our soldiers have done; you need that kind of attitude, ”Amre said.
“Success and failure are part of the game, but the focus will have to be strong, the media will be critical, the crowd will be against you but you must support your skills, especially the batting unit after what they did on the last tour. . and I got a historic victory. “
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