Slog
Senior Test Player
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2015
- Runs
- 28,984
- Post of the Week
- 1
ndia captain Virat Kohli played down concerns over Ajinkya Rahane's batting form, saying the India vice-captain will continue to be one of their most important Test batsmen alongside Cheteshwar Pujara. Kohli said the team management believes in Rahane's abilities and that the deputy captain is an "impact player".
Ajinkya Rahane stepped up as stand-in captain in Australia and hit a series-defining hundred in Melbourne but he has been inconsistent with the bat. 4, 22, 24, 37, 1, 0 have been his series of scores since that match-winning hundred in the 2nd Test against Australia in December 2020.
India vs England, 1st Test Day 5: Report | Highlights
Rahane has also lacked consistency as a batsman in home Tests, especially under Virat Kohli's captaincy. Since his hundred against South Africa in October 2016, Rahane has managed just 779 runs at 29.96 in 18 matches with a single hundred and 6 fifty-plus scores under Kohli's leadership in India.
In India's 227-run defeat against England in Chennai, Rahane managed 1 run in the first innings before getting caught at cover in Dom Bess's bowling. In the 2nd innings, Rahane was dismissed for a third-ball duck when James Anderson got one to reverse swing.
India made 337 in the first innings and were bundled out for 192 in the second after England posted a mammoth first-innings total of 578 and followed it up with 178 in their 2nd innings.
'We believe in his abilities'
"Ajinkya Rahane is, I have said this many times in the past as well, along with Cheteshwar Pujara is our most important Test batsman and he is going to continue to be. We believe in his abilities, we have believed in his abilities for a long time now. He is an impact player," Kohli told the press on Tuesday.
"In the MCG Test, he stood up and scored a hundred for his team when we wanted it the most. You can look at the number of innings and what happens from there on, the reality of the situation is we won the series in Australia.
'And here, there is just one test, two innings. Today, yes, you can put that innings aside. In the first innings, he wanted to score a boundary. It was a brilliant catch by Joe Root that got rid of him. If that had gone for a boundary and he had scored runs, we are not having this conversation.
"There are absolutely no issues. Everyone is playing well, we need to execute better. Understand the conditions better, nothing is given in Test cricket and play well as a team. That's our focus."
India and England meet in the 2nd Test in Chennai from February 13. The hosts, who have slipped to the 4th spot in the World Test Championship standings, will be keen on bouncing back but there is only a 3-day turnaround time to regroup and work on their shortcomings against a spirited England side, who have won 6 of their last 6 matches in Asia
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.in...form-impact-player-chennai-1767458-2021-02-09
===
Is this some sort of reverse psychology on Kohli’s part? Make it seem like Rahane is in wretched form and is only making team due to backing and trust. And as a result totally kill off any talk of him being potentially a captain.
Kohli’s recent form (even despite this 70 odd yesterday) hardly inspires confidence either and I would put them in same boat in terms of form. Heck Rahane atleast scored a match winning century 3 test matches ago.
Ajinkya Rahane stepped up as stand-in captain in Australia and hit a series-defining hundred in Melbourne but he has been inconsistent with the bat. 4, 22, 24, 37, 1, 0 have been his series of scores since that match-winning hundred in the 2nd Test against Australia in December 2020.
India vs England, 1st Test Day 5: Report | Highlights
Rahane has also lacked consistency as a batsman in home Tests, especially under Virat Kohli's captaincy. Since his hundred against South Africa in October 2016, Rahane has managed just 779 runs at 29.96 in 18 matches with a single hundred and 6 fifty-plus scores under Kohli's leadership in India.
In India's 227-run defeat against England in Chennai, Rahane managed 1 run in the first innings before getting caught at cover in Dom Bess's bowling. In the 2nd innings, Rahane was dismissed for a third-ball duck when James Anderson got one to reverse swing.
India made 337 in the first innings and were bundled out for 192 in the second after England posted a mammoth first-innings total of 578 and followed it up with 178 in their 2nd innings.
'We believe in his abilities'
"Ajinkya Rahane is, I have said this many times in the past as well, along with Cheteshwar Pujara is our most important Test batsman and he is going to continue to be. We believe in his abilities, we have believed in his abilities for a long time now. He is an impact player," Kohli told the press on Tuesday.
"In the MCG Test, he stood up and scored a hundred for his team when we wanted it the most. You can look at the number of innings and what happens from there on, the reality of the situation is we won the series in Australia.
'And here, there is just one test, two innings. Today, yes, you can put that innings aside. In the first innings, he wanted to score a boundary. It was a brilliant catch by Joe Root that got rid of him. If that had gone for a boundary and he had scored runs, we are not having this conversation.
"There are absolutely no issues. Everyone is playing well, we need to execute better. Understand the conditions better, nothing is given in Test cricket and play well as a team. That's our focus."
India and England meet in the 2nd Test in Chennai from February 13. The hosts, who have slipped to the 4th spot in the World Test Championship standings, will be keen on bouncing back but there is only a 3-day turnaround time to regroup and work on their shortcomings against a spirited England side, who have won 6 of their last 6 matches in Asia
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.in...form-impact-player-chennai-1767458-2021-02-09
===
Is this some sort of reverse psychology on Kohli’s part? Make it seem like Rahane is in wretched form and is only making team due to backing and trust. And as a result totally kill off any talk of him being potentially a captain.
Kohli’s recent form (even despite this 70 odd yesterday) hardly inspires confidence either and I would put them in same boat in terms of form. Heck Rahane atleast scored a match winning century 3 test matches ago.
Last edited by a moderator:
