India's stand-in captain for the Test series against Australia, Ajinkya Rahane led the team to a historic victory recently. They defeated Australia at the Gabba, where the home side remained unbeaten for 32 years, and also won the series 2-1.
When Rahane returned to his home in Dadar, Mumbai, he received a grand welcome with loud cheers and drum beats for the success. The 32-year-old was also asked to cut a cake with Kangaroo on it, to show India's dominance. But he refused to cut it and won the hearts of the fans with his gesture.
Famous cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle asked about the incident which was the right thing to do. Rahane cleared that he didn't want to disrespect the national animal of Australia. He said despite the wins and creating history, one should respect their opposition.
“Kangaroo is their (Australian) national animal and I don’t want to do that. You treat your opposition, you give them respect even if you win, even if you create history. That’s fine. You have to have that respect for the opponents and other countries. That’s why I took that decision not to cut that cake,” he told Bhogle.
Rahane also talked about the captaincy for a short period and how he will approach the next series. He is the vice-captain of Team India in the upcoming Test series against England at home.
“That phase is over and I am no longer the captain. I am focusing on the Test match against England now. Whatever happened, that’s history now, that’s gone. So let’s move on and focus on our next assignment.”
