Rahane captained India to a 2-1 Test series in Australia on 2020-21 tour down under.
India had come for the four-Test series having previously won their maiden series in the 2018-19 tour and had a lot going for them. However, they were bowled out for 36 in the second innings of the Adelaide Test and lost the match, which they should’ve won.
Then Virat Kohli flew home for the birth of his first child, leaving Ajinkya Rahane in charge. Apart from this, injuries hampered the Indian team throughout the series with Mohammad Shami breaking his hand in the first Test and Umesh Yadav hurting his hamstring in the second match.
India won the second Test in MCG thanks to Rahane’s century and some spirited bowling, while a Rishabh Pant special and grittiness from Cheteshwar Pujara and Hanuma Vihari ensured a draw in Sydney.
But then India lost Ravindra Jadeja, Vihari, R Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah tto injuries after SCG Test, meaning that Washington Sundar, T Natarajan, and Navdeep Saini made their debuts in the final Test in Brisbane, while Shubman Gill had made his Test debut in Melbourne earlier.
Justin Langer, who coached the Australian side during that series, said that he had received a call from former captain Steve Waugh. The 52-year-old revealed that he had a conversation with Waugh about Ajinkya Rahane and this was sort of a 'red flag' for Langer.
“Before the series started Steve Waugh, my hero, rang me and said I was going to be transparent. I wanna be honest I’m having some conversations with Rahane…doing a bit of mentoring him leading to that series.
Not Steve Waugh, the iceman and we saw that calmness in Rahane, we saw the way he played in that series and when I knew he was talking to Steve, it was red flags for me,” Langer said on air while commentating on Star Sports.
Langer’s fears were proven true as Ajinkya Rahane inspired an injury-laden Indian side to a fierce comeback from the series and won the Brisbane Test by 3 wickets and won the series 2-1, their second consecutive Tests series win in Australia.