Team India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane who was dismissed on 49 after playing a half-hearted pull shot off Neil Wagner in the WTC 2021 final against New Zealand, was criticized heavily by fans as well as by cricket experts for his rash shot.
Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar was one of them as he talked about how even after a fantastic century against Australia in Melbourne, there has been a constant decline in Rahane’s form.
“It’s just the same Rahane that we have been seeing for the last many years, barring one or two innings like that hundred against Australia in the Test that India won. After that, he had a drop of form,” Manjrekar said
“It is interesting because, after a hundred, your form generally takes off, you feel more confident. But he has got a string of low scores. I think he really applied himself, so credit to him for just going through the grind,” he added.
The 55-year-old then cited the lack of commitment in Rahane’s pull shot as compared to someone like Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma.
“As for the pull shot on which he got out, there was a lot of tentativeness and not the kind of commitment you see in Virat Kohli, or Rohit Sharma, or Shubman Gill or Rishabh Pant. The kind of commitment they have in their attacking shots,” the right-hand batsman said.
As far as the final against New Zealand is concerned, yet another day passed without any cricket as the play on Day 4 was called off without a ball being bowled owing to persistent rain.
The final is currently at New Zealand having 101 runs on the board at the loss of two wickets in reply to Team India’s 217-all-out with skipper Kane Williamson and veteran Test batsman Ross Taylor at the crease.
(With Cricketnext Inputs)
