Stand-in India skipper Ajinkya Rahane impressed one and all with his batting display and tactical acumen in the visitors’ thumping eight-wicket win over Australia in the second Test at MCG.
Leading India in the absence of Virat Kohli, Rahane produced a brilliant knock of 112 which helped the team take a crucial 131-run lead in the first innings. The tourists then bowled out the hosts for 200 in their second essay and then chased down the 70-run target with ease.
Such was Rahane’s impact that the Australian legends also showered rich praise on his shrewd leadership and it is something that the former India captain Sunil Gavaskar finds heartening to see.
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"... you had to be around the Australian commentary boxes to understand the kind of admiration that was there for the way he (Rahane) lead the team amongst some of the Australian legends who were at the commentary box," Gavaskar told 'India Today'.
"So that was such a heartening thing to see that he was being praised for his leadership by these guys, someone like Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Mike Hussey, Shane Warne, they had nothing but praise for Rahane's captaincy," he added.
However, Gavaskar made it clear that Kohli remains the leader of the pack and Rahane should make way for him once the former returns from his paternity leave.
"Rahane is the stand-in captain and as a stand-in captain or as a stand-in batsman or an new-ball bowler or off-spinner, you try to do your best at that point of time but when the main guy is back again very fit, you make way for that guy," he remarked.
Asked if the pressure is now on the Australians, Gavaskar said: "Definitely! This is not something they are used to. Every time they have won the first Test match, they have gone on to win the series, they have gone on to grind the opposition.
"Some of the former Australian cricketers were speaking about a 4-0 win, that India will be blown over etc etc. Now you know what it is. This is not a team which will lie down and allow you to walk all over them. So it augurs well for the Indian team."
"The Australians have their own problems, finding a good opening pair, they need to find somebody who can get wickets when the fourth and fifth bowler is required. Even India has its own problems, they also have to think about opening batting position and in the middle order but in bowling they have nothing to worry about."
India had suffered a humiliating 8-wicket defeat in the opening Test. With this victory, they levelled the series 1-1, with two Tests still to be played in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Reflecting on the win, Gavaskar praised India’s new ball bowlers, who according to him, didn't allow the Australian openers to build a foundation.
"The new ball bowlers made sure that Australia didn't get off to a 70 or 100 for no loss on day one, this is the main reason why this comeback was possible," he said.
"If Australia would have got off to a start, the (Indian) team would have started thinking 'look that this is not our tour because when we played in Adelaide everything we played was edged but these Australians were playing and missing, getting hit on the pads but still survived and got to 80-90 for no loss', so that sort of negative mindset can creep in.
"But because those early wickets were taken, that's the reason the Indian team could think that 'no we are still in the game, we did well for two days in Adelaide, we had a horrific one hour but we can still do it' and they have shown us how to do it."
