Ajinkya Rahane falls early on county championship debut for Hampshire

Rahane got out for just 10, playing against Nottinghamshire.

Ajinkya Rahane | Getty

India's Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane didn't have a fruitful maiden county championship outing in the UK for Hampshire cricket club on Monday (May 20). Rahane, playing against Nottinghamshire at No.3, got out for just 10 runs having faced 34 balls before England international Stuart Broad dismissed him on Day 1 of the ongoing first-class game. The short innings included one four. 

Either side of Rahane, openers Joe Weatherley (66) and Oliver Soames (44), as well as skipper Sam Northeast (33), Liam Dawson (25) contributed their bit as Hampshire finished the day 288/6 in 96 overs with Aneurin Donald (35*) and Ian Holland (24*) still not out overnight. 

For Nottinghamshire, Luke Fletcher (1/67), Stuart Broad (1/67), Jake Ball (2/57) and captain Steven Mullaney (2/42) delivered the goods with the ball. 

From Rahane's perspective, it is important that he adjusts soon to those conditions and red-ball cricket once again, having been playing T20 cricket for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League for last two months. 

This stint, involving eight first-class games, is of utmost importance to Rahane, who has had a lacklustre year and a half at the Test level. The Indian No.5 last struck a hundred in August 2017 against Sri Lanka and has since had disappointing tours to England and Australia. 

India next plays Test cricket in the Caribbean where Virat Kohli's team begins its World Test Championship campaign with a two-match series against West Indies. That challenge will be stiff considering Calypso Kings feature an intimidating pace quartet including Shanon Gabriel, Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph and Jason Holder. 

Hence, all the more important that Rahane comes out of his mental and technical issues quickly for the sake of his future in India's Test batting line-up. 

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 21 May, 2019

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