Ajinkya Rahane Birthday Special: Five Instances When Right-Hander Rose To Occasion For India

Ajinkya Rahane who turned 33 on Sunday, was born on June 6, 1988, in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. In Test cricket, the classical right-hander has been an important player for India’s middle order. The Test vice-captain led India to a stunning Border-Gavaskar series victory in Australia.

Rahane has been outstanding for India in the longer format, and he is expected to play a key part in the World Test Championship final and Test series against England.

Today, on his 33rd birthday, let’s have a look at the top 5 innings played by Ajinkya Rahane:

112 vs Australia (MCG)

The lead-up couldn’t have been any more dramatic. For Ajinkya Rahane, India’s stand-in captain, the Melbourne Test was baptism by fire – around him was a team crushed just days ago by a bewildering collapse and was left with an absence too big to fill when Virat Kohli flew back.

Yet, there could have been no one better than Rahane to take on the challenge: a stone-faced leader who spurned useless chatter, banter and mind games, and earnestly went about his duty. India needed calm after strolling into a hurricane, and they could have trusted Rahane to soothe troubled heads. But more than Rahane, the captain, the Melbourne miracle was about Rahane, the batsman.

Rahane smashed a magnificent century in the first innings in a low scoring match and guided India to one of the most memorable wins of all time.

103 vs England (Lord’s)

Back in 2014, Ajinkya Rahane had saved the Indian batting line-up from a collapse against England in Lord’s by slamming 103 runs off 154 deliveries including 15 boundaries and 1 maximum. Batting first, the wickets kept falling from one end for India as they lost their 7 batsmen at a mere score of 145.

However, Ajinkya Rahane had shown his character as a Test batsman as he held his fort and stitched a crucial 90 runs partnership with Bhuvneshwar Kumar to help India post a total of 295. India registered their maiden Test win at Lord’s after a gap of 28 years by 95 runs.

147 vs Australia (Melbourne)

It can be said that Boxing Day Test matches are Rahane’s favourite as he has displayed his classic on the same occasion more than once. In 2014, Australia posted gigantic 530 runs on the board, and in reply, India reeled at 147-3 when Rahane shook hands with Kohli. Both the batsmen decided to take bowlers to the cleaners and Rahane smashed Mitchell Johnson mercilessly by bringing 147 off just 171 balls. Johnson conceded 138 runs as Rahane appeared in the red-hot form. In the end, India were able to draw the match respectfully.

126 vs Sri Lanka (Colombo)

Batting first in Colombo, India piled up 393 in the first innings with opener KL Rahul scoring 108.
The Virat Kohli-led side gained a precious 87-run lead, having bundled out Sri Lanka for 306.
Rahane top-scored (126 off 243 balls), thereby helping India extend the all-important lead.
The visitors, who gave Sri Lanka a 413-run target, ended up winning by 278 runs.

127 vs South Africa (Delhi)

Rahane is undoubtedly one of the few players who fancies batting overseas. Interestingly, he did not score a single century at home until 2015. His maiden century in home conditions came against Proteas at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. He added yet another century in the second innings. Rahane racked up 127 and 100* respectively on a tricky Delhi surface with India winning by 337 runs.