In 2021, Indian Test specialist, Ajinkya Rahane led Team India to their memorable Test series win in Australia, but now he has often been criticized for his batting performances. Recently, he played his last international match during the Test series in South Africa, scoring 136 runs from three matches, including one half-century, and in order to prolong his career, Rahane is focussing on taking part in the upcoming season of the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai.
In a startling revelation though, Ajinkya Rahane, the former India Test vice-captain took a cryptic dig at certain people, saying they took away the credit for his hard work, referring to India’s 2-1 win in the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. With Virat Kohli back home to be there for the birth of his first child, Rahane captained the Indian team spiritedly in Australia as India – who were rolled over for 36 in the first Test in Adelaide – won Test matches in Melbourne and Brisbane, and drew at Sydney.
The Boxing Day Test in Melbourne witnessed a change of fate for Team India in the Test series. Not only did Rahane score a magnificent century, some of the key bowling decisions made by him, as claimed in the recent interview on Backstage with Boria, helped India register an impressive comeback win.
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Talking about the Australia series during a chat with veteran sports journalist Boria Majumdar on his show ‘Backstage with Boria’, Ajinkya Rahane said, “Bringing Ashwin in the ninth over was completely instinctive and that played off really well. It got Matthew Wade out and Steve Smith out in two overs. I won’t say that it completely turned the game in our favour after that but I will admit that was a decision which was purely on instinct. The wicket was looking damp. After the pacers went about in the first three-four overs I felt I should use Ashwin in Melbourne and the time in now.”
"It was my decision to bowl with Ashwin inside 10 over in Melbourne"
-Ajinkya RahaneBut Ashwin in his yt video said it was Ravi Shastri's decision
What a liar @ajinkyarahane88pic.twitter.com/GRXxGfbYjW
— gaurav (@Melbourne__82) February 10, 2022
Matthew Wade was dismissed in the 13th over while Smith was dismissed for a duck in the next over of Ravichandran Ashwin as Australia were reduced to three down for 38 in just 14.3 overs. Barring the 86-run stand between Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head that followed, Australia failed to withstand the Indian bowling attack as they were bundled out for just 195 runs in the first innings after opting to bat first.
However, in a YouTube video posted by Ravichandran Ashwin earlier last year, he said, “Ravi Shastri came into the dressing room and boomed, ‘ASSHHHH, get the ball in the first 10 overs’. I was just wearing my pants. I thought ‘in Melbourne he wants me to bowl in the first 10 overs’ (Ashwin imitating Shastri), he said in a conversation with India’s former fielding coach R Sridhar.”
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He further added, “It might be damp, it might spin, I have told Jinks (Rahane)’. Bumrah bowled a good spell. Jinks then gave me the ball and the first ball I bowled, it spun a lot and bounced as well. I was like wow.”
