Ajinkya Rahane is a big name in Test cricket. One can not take this man on a lighter note as he has always been a champions player in the longest format of the game, especially in foreign conditions.
The 33-year-old was at it again on the Day 3 of the World Test Championship Final but unfortunately failed to stretch his innings. Neil Wagner shattered all the hopes of team India by dismissing Rahane for 49 runs.
Meanwhile, cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar spoke about Rahane’s dismissal and pointed out a pattern to his dismissals. Manjrekar felt the Indian vice-captain scores a hundred and then keeps getting out for low scores. The former India batsman further added that Rahane is not converting his start into something big.
“It’s just the same Rahane that we have been seeing for the last many years, barring one or two innings like that hundred against Australia in the Test that India won. After that, he had a drop of form. It is interesting because, after a hundred, your form generally takes off, you feel more confident. But he has got a string of low scores. I think he really applied himself, so credit to him for just going through the grind,” Manjrekar said while speaking to ESPNCricinfo.
Indian vice-captain last scored a match-winning hundred Down Under in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But later he suffered a dip in form in the home series against England, where he failed to score even a single fifty.
Speaking about the shot that caused Rahane’s dismissal, Manjrekar said there was a lot of ‘tentativeness’ in it.
“As for the pull shot on which he got out, there was a lot of tentativeness and not the kind of commitment you see in Virat Kohli, or Rohit Sharma, or Shubman Gill or Rishabh Pant. The kind of commitment they have in their attacking shots.
“The thing about Rahane is that there is not one particular mode of dismissal for him in the last few years when he has got low scores. So, I have always associated his dismissals and low scores with his state of mind,” he added.
India vs New Zealand WTC Final Update
India were bundled out for 217 as Kyle Jamieson picked up a record-setting 5-wicket haul. In reply, New Zealand reached 101 for 2 at Stumps on Day 3 as India bowlers didn’t make good use of the overcast conditions.
The start of the fourth day’s play in Southampton was delayed with rain washing out the first session. With the forecast for the rest of Monday not so good, the reserve day on Wednesday assumes more importance.