Ajinkya Rahane – Quite the stout-hearted character

by Abhishek Chakraborty

Having gone through several ups and downs in his career, Ajinkya – the ‘Invincible’ man from mighty Mumbai, never bogged down to any adversities but accepted his fate with a mere smile. A player of his class has always been under the scrutiny of a few unrelenting eyes. His India appearance has reduced to a solitary format donning the regular whites. While he has failed to keep a place in the starting XI for his IPL franchise after having swapped sides, he has had his moments in International cricket every now and then in a comeback of sorts. And gosh, they have been some match defining ones earning him the ‘vice-captain’ title for long now.

Here’s a recap of his self-defining Test career ~

Rahane was selected in the Test squad to play against West Indies in November 2011. Rahane was taken in the squad for 16 months and in his presence, he saw seven players make their debuts.

Rahane made his debut in Test cricket on 22 March 2013 against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, Delhi. According to the media, Rahane got this chance through “sheer luck”. 

Shikhar Dhawan, who made a dazzling start to his career in the third Test at Mohali, scoring 187 on debut, was the obvious choice for the Delhi Test until he suffered an injury to the knuckles of his left hand. Gautam Gambhir, who was picked as a replacement for Dhawan, was sidelined owing to jaundice. Rahane was handed his India Test cap which brought an end to a lean patch for Mumbai, who had not produced a Test player for India since May 2007.

Two single-digit scores in the game prompted many to question Rahane’s ability to handle pressure and replicate his domestic success at international level.

Despite his failure in the debut match, Rahane was included in the playing eleven for the first match of India’s tour of South Africa (2013–14). Batting in the lower-middle order, he made 209 runs at an average of 69.66 in the series (including a 96 off 157 balls at Kingsmead, Durban) against the bowling attack comprising Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander.

“For a man who had spent many a tour and series warming up the bench, carrying drinks, wondering when his opportunity will come, he has taken his chance with both hands, even though it arrived in the most difficult of conditions to bat in”, cricket pundit Sidharth Monga wrote. Rahane finished as India’s third-highest run-getter in the series, but he was in the most precarious position of all before the series began.

Rahane made his first Test ton at Basin Reserve, Wellington, New Zealand on 15 February 2014 against New Zealand. India were in a difficult position when Rahane came to the crease at 156 for five and by the time he departed with 118, India were in a match-winning position ruined by Brendon McCullum’s famous triple-century. 

“He had a mountain of first-class runs backing him, of course, but did he have what goes around by the queer name of X-factor? Did he have that extra edge in his game and personality that separates top-class international players from the rest? Was he merely humble, or was he unable to assert himself, unable to absorb real pressure? After his first two Test tours to South Africa and New Zealand, we can safely conclude it must be the former. Underneath that seemingly soft exterior lurks a solid Test batsman, and he was on display at the Basin Reserve”, ESPN Cricinfo wrote in their analysis.

Rahane played in the Investec Test Series (India tour of England, 2014) in England. His previous overseas performances (in away Tests, Rahane averaged 61.83 having scored 371 in four Tests including a century and two fifties) earned him a place in the playing eleven over Rohit Sharma. He justified his selection by making his second century at the second Test match at Lord’s Cricket Ground. Put in to bat on a green-top wicket by Alastair Cook, India collapsed to 140 for six by tea, only to be rescued by Rahane’s century. He was supported by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who scored a valuable 36, besides putting on 90 runs for the eighth wicket. In the process, Rahane became the fourth Indian batsman to post a Test century on his first appearance at Lord’s, joining Sourav Ganguly, Dilip Vengsarkar and Ajit Agarkar.

Rahane played in the 2014–15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. In the third Test match at Melbourne, Rahane made his third Test hundred. He made 399 runs in four matches, including a century and three half-centuries against the opposition attack of Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris, the core of a bowling unit that famously won 2013–14 Ashes series 5–0.

In the first Test of 2015 tour of Sri Lanka, Rahane broke the world record for most catches in a Test match with eight. In the second Test at PSS, Colombo, he scored his fourth Test hundred, scoring 126 in India’s second innings, and India went on to win the match. In the process, he reached his career-best ranking of 20 in the ICC Player Rankings.

Rahane played in the 2015 Freedom Series. In the 4th test match at New Delhi, Rahane made centuries in both the innings on a pitch where most batsmen found it difficult to score, and with this feat, he became only the fifth Indian to join the elite club of twin centurions in a single test.

On 16 August 2016, Rahane achieved his career best test batsmen’s ranking of No. 8.

On 25 March 2017, Rahane became India’s 33rd Test Captain when he led the team in the 4th test against Australia in Dharamsala due to an injury to Virat Kohli. He scored 46 runs in his first innings and quick 37 Runs in 2nd innings as India’s Test captain.

He scored a century in Sri Lanka in August 2017. In the return series at home, he failed miserably scoring only 17 in 5 innings.

Despite an overseas average of 55, he was not included in the playing 11 for the 1st and 2nd Test against South Africa in 2018. After the failures of Rohit Sharma in both tests, the Indian vice-captain was brought back into the playing 11 for the 3rd test where his innings of 48 in the 2nd innings on a dangerous batting pitch proved very crucial in setting up an Indian victory.

He led the Indian Team in the test match against Afghanistan national cricket team in the absence of Virat Kohli in 2018.

In the India’s tour of England, Rahane scored two half centuries, a match winning 81 in the third test and 51 in the fourth test. In the following India’s tour of Australia, Rahane scored two half centuries; a match-winning 70 in the Adelaide test and a 51 in the Perth test. Overall, he finished the series with 217 runs.

In 2019 two Match series in West Indies , he scored a superb century in the First Test to guide India to Victory.

In home series against South Africa, he scored a brisk fifty in second Test in Pune sharing a crucial century partnership with skipper Virat Kohli. In the third Test, he scored a match winning 115 with a 267 run partnership with Rohit Sharma who scored his first double century in Tests rescuing the team from 39 for 3.

On 15 November 2019, in the first innings of the first test match against Bangladesh, Rahane hit 86 off 172 deliveries, crossing the boundary 9 times. This became his 21st test fifty in international cricket.

He was selected in the Test eleven for a 2 match series against New Zealand in February 2020 , but like the rest of the team, his batting performance was not up to the mark.

He was then selected as the stand-in captain of the Indian Test team for the 2020-2021 India tour of Australia in place of Virat Kohli who chose to return home due to much-debated paternity leave after the first test. India recorded their lowest ever Test score that of only 36 in the Pink-ball Day & Night encounter at Adelaide to face a humiliating defeat in the hands of an upbeat Australian side that looks to salvage the prestigious Border-Gavaskar trophy. To add to the woes, India lost the services of Mohammed Shami due to an injury.

Under Ajinkya, India made 4 changes while 2 players went on to make their debut. Rahane, in his calm and composed nature handled it all with sheer maturity, and throughout the game India went on to win 7 sessions while Australia only 2. The immense pressure from the last game, the demoralizing loss didn’t seem to affect them even an inch, such was their grit and determination to comeback as a team and show character in absence of their leader in Virat Kohli. Two matches prior to this, Rahane had led India and both were won, thereby the belief and confidence upon the stand-in skipper always seemed to be there. But that was enhanced by a stupendous leading from the front knock by Rahane, 132 off 223 deliveries made sure India took a substantial lead in the first innings as Australia faltered yet again in their batting second time around to give India a target of only 70 in which Rahane hit the winning runs in a small knock of 27* runs. India squared the series 1-1 with two tests to go under Rahane eyeing their 2nd consecutive Test series win in Australia.

Rahane seems to excel under added responsibilities, it is often said you corner Ajinkya – the ‘Indomitable’ man at your own peril. He idolizes the Wall ~ Rahul Dravid, his mentor, inherits all likable attributes from him, never exaggerates, stays as humble as possible, always stresses upon focusing on basics, staying disciplined and going about the job of a batsman as a strenuous workman. Also carrying a pair of safe hands to add to the similarities with the legend of the game, as if he had none before. Just a slight raise of the bat towards his fellow colleagues and a hand shake at the end of a won match is all to define the sheer class and simplicity of the man having answered all his critics from time to time as a dependable India Test middle order batsman, vice-captain or stand-in skipper of the side.

May his reign continue for many more years serving the Indian Cricket Team !!