Stand-in India skipper Ajinkya Rahane impressed one and all with his batting display and tactical acumen in the visitors’ series-levelling eight-wicket win over Australia in the second Test at MCG last month.

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 chased down the 70-run target with ease.

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Reflecting on his ton, Rahane revealed that he watched the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s glorious 116 ten times on the eve of the Boxing Day Test, and 6-7 times again in the morning of the game.

Notably, Tendulkar had hit that famous hundred against an Australian attack comprising Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Shane Warne during the 1999 Test series in Melbourne.

“I saw Sachin’s innings in which he got a hundred at the MCG when he was the captain. He got 116 in that game, I was watching his innings. I watched it 10 times on the previous night and the morning of the game around 6-7 times. He and Dravid are my role models,” Rahane told Boria Majumdar on Sports Today.

Before the Melbourne masterclass, Rahane’s 103 at Lord’s in 2014 was inarguably the best Test century of his career.

In fact, Rahane himself considered it more special than the Melbourne Test century last month.

“It was really special. Getting a century always is. Still feel that my hundred against England at Lord’s is my best,” he had said after the MCG Test match.

However, Rahane now feels Melbourne hundred was bigger after the series win in Australia.

“Melbourne Test hundred was really special. I said in Melbourne that my Lord’s hundred was special but many people told me that Melbourne hundred was better than the Lord’s one. Now I realise that, given the circumstances after the Adelaide Test match, Melbourne hundred was really special,” he remarked.