Ajinkya Rahane’s curious case has been the talking point in the Indian cricketing circles over the last month or so. He was not the part of the team for 18 months before the World Test Championship (WTC) final. But injuries to key players led to the selectors preferring his experience for the summit clash and recalled Rahane to the squad. It was also done on the basis of his strong domestic show and when the squad was announced, he was doing well in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well.
Interestingly, in the WTC Final, Rahane’s batting was the only positive for India as they lost to Australia. The veteran middle-order batter notched up scores of 89 and 46 across two innings impressing many in the fraternity. But the loss led to the selectors sacking Cheteshwar Pujara from the team for the West Indies tour. However, Rahane was suddenly made the vice-captain and that raised a lot of eyebrows.
Moreover, the man scored only three runs after coming out to bat at a strong position of 350/3. This failure have once again fuelled the discussions around Rahane’s position in the Indian team. But the India batting coach Vikram Rathour has backed the veteran to come good soon and indirectly also hinted at his selection for the South Africa tour later this year.
“He played really well in the WTC final. He has always been a good player. He was dropped because of bad form. When it comes to technique, you constantly work on that but what stood out for for me that he was much more calm in his approach. He was playing late and close to the body. That has been the standout thing since his comeback. He is still batting the same way in the nets. We hope he will do well. Conditions in South Africa, you will need somebody like him to come good,” Rathour said in a media interaction.
India are slated to tour South Africa in December later this year for two Tests, three ODIs and as many T20Is with the white-ball led of the tour starting from December 10. Rathour’s comments on Rahane being crucial in the conditions in South Africa might have hinted at his selection. However, the 35-year-old will have to put in a strong show in the second Test as India won’t be any Tests until South Africa tour after this tour.
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