Ravi Shastri, former India coach, has lauded Ajinkya Rahane’s inclusion in the Indian squad for the upcoming ICC WTC 2023 final, which they will play against Australia at the Oval in London from June 7-11.
This is the second straight time India will play in the final of the ICC World Cup Test Championship and Shastri said that he’s “glad” Ajinkya Rahane is back in the Indian Test squad for this one-off big game.
He said the moment Shreyas Iyer got injured, it became imperative to look in that direction given his experience. And that it was good for Rahane to have a good outing in the Ranji Trophy and now in the ongoing IPL 2023.
Rahane captained Mumbai in the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy, where they narrowly missed the knockouts. He made 634 runs, including two centuries, in 11 innings at an average of 57.64. And now for the Chennai Super Kings, he has 224 runs in 6 matches at a strike rate of 189.83 and a best of 71* which came off 29 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders.
“I’m so glad he’s made it to the side. He batted beautifully in these two-three games he’s played in the IPL, and has looked in great touch. And let’s not forget the experience he has. The moment Shreyas Iyer was injured, you had to look in that direction.
People think he’s just played three IPL games and that’s why he’s in the side. They must have been on holiday for six months when he was playing first-class cricket. They must’ve been somewhere in the jungle where there’s no contact with anyone in the world. When you go six months into a holiday, you miss those 600 runs,” Shastri told ESPNCricinfo.
Rahane last played a Test for India in South Africa in 2022 and his last Test century came against Australia in Melbourne in that amazing 2020-21 Test series which India won thanks to Rahane’s terrific leadership.
Shastri compared Rahane’s comeback to that of Cheteshwar Pujara. He, too, ran out of favor following the tour of South Africa last year. But constant runs in county cricket led to his return.
“Absolutely, it’s a one-off big game, like the Super Bowl, and you need your experienced player. Don’t forget just two-and-a-half years ago, the man won a Test series in Australia. He was the captain when Virat [Kohli] went [on paternity leave] and did a sterling job.
People forget that hundred at the MCG, the way he played, and the fact that he’s gone back to the grind. You saw what it did with (Cheteshwar) Pujara, he went back to the grind playing domestic cricket, playing county cricket, just got the number of runs under his belt, then came back into Test cricket and performed. It’s the same thing with Rahane, let’s hope that experience comes in handy,” Shastri added.
Shastri also agreed with the notion that Rahane’s current form in IPL and his ball-striking abilities helped his cause.
“Oh, a lot, because the memory is fresh,” he responded. “Domestic cricket was over two months ago. People might tend to forget it, even the selectors. Suddenly you come in and play that kind of innings where you look at ease, the timing is good, the footwork is good, the confidence is good, it would’ve definitely helped,” Shastri signed off.
