‘I knew this could be a game-changing moment’ – Rahane recalls mix-up with Virat Kohli in Adelaide Test

India and Australia played a humdinger of a four-match Test in 2020-21. During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under, India stormed their way back following a disastrous performance in the opening Test, in Adelaide, to first level the series in Melbourne, secure a draw in the third and penultimate Test before winning the series decider at The Gabba, Brisbane.

Moreover, India’s victory came sans then regular captain Virat Kohli, who only captained the team in the series opener before returning back to India for the birth of his first child. Hence, then vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane stepped up as a leader, marshalled his troops, led from the front with a memorable 112 at the MCG as India won their second successive Test series on Australian soil. 

Nonetheless, the series didn’t start well for Rahane. On Day 1 of the opening Test, Rahane-Kohli were going well, after India opted to bat first in Adelaide, as visitors were 188-3 during the final session. With a handy 88-run stand for the fourth wicket, Kohli-Rahane were dictating terms before a horrible mix-up led to the skipper’s dismissal (74).

Rahane drove a Nathan Lyon delivery to the left of mid-off and ran before bailing out, leaving Kohli stranded in the middle. Thus, the right-hander recently recalled the horrible run-out and revealed how it affected him.

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“I don’t think I can ever forget that moment, or anyone can. When the ball hit my bat, I didn’t realise how well I had timed the ball. And I thought it was an easy single, it was an instinctive call, but when I took a couple of steps, then I realised the ball was next to Josh Hazlewood who was a mid-on. It was right under his hand,” Rahane revealed in the first episode of Voot Select’s series, Bandon mein tha dum.

“Then I had to say no. Even before Kohli got out, I knew that this could be a game-changing moment and that’s when I had that reaction. I immediately said sorry to him. I knew it could have been the turning point in the game, and that’s what happened. My mind was continuously thinking of that run-out. Generally, I play that ball to mid-on (on his own dismissal, off Mitchell Starc) but because of what happened 2-3 overs, my mind was completely blank,” mentioned Rahane who fell for 42 soon after Kohli’s departure.

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“When I went inside the dressing room, I went to him and ‘said sorry’. He said ‘it’s fine, these things happen, don’t worry. We have the second innings, we will stitch another partnership and take the team forward’. But somehow, I felt from the inside that it was the moment that could change the game. Had that run-out not happened, the game could have gone in a different direction,” Rahane added.

From 188-3, India were dismissed for 244 all-out and despite a vital 53-run lead, the visitors fell for 36 in their second essay to lose the first Test by eight wickets. While many had predicted a whitewash of the Indians following the result, with them also being without Kohli, however, Rahane & Co. stunned one and all and went onto claim the series 2-1.