Ajinkya Rahane, who was India's stand-in captain in Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21, has claimed that "some people" took credit for his crucial on-field decisions on the last Australia tour.
India had won their second Test series on Australian soil without the availability of many star Test players partially or for the entire series. Virat Kohli had returned home on paternity leave after the first Test defeat in Adelaide, but Rahane still went on to lead the side to a 2-1 series win.
The 33-year-old, on 'Backstage with Boria', didn't name anyone but said that he wasn't given credit for some of the important calls he made in the series. Although, Rahane added that he was never bothered by people taking his share of credit as for him the series win was more important.
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"I know what I've done there. I don't need to tell anyone. That's not my nature to go and take cricket. Yes, there were some things that I took the decisions on the field or in the dressing room but someone else took the credit for it. [What was] important for me was that we won the series. That was a historical series and for me, that was really special," he said.
Rahane further added, "After that, the reactions from people or those who took credit or what was said on the media, 'I did this' or 'This was my decision', or 'This was my call', it was for them to talk about.
"From my end, I knew what decisions I took on the field and what decisions I took on my instincts. Yes, we talked with the management too but I used to laugh about it, that is what I did on the field, I never talk much about myself or praise myself. But what I did there, I knew."
After the series win, India spinner R Ashwin had credited ex-India head coach Ravi Shastri for plotting the dismissal of Australian batter Steve Smith in the first innings of the Melbourne Test.
Ashwin, during an interaction with former India fielding coach R Sridhar, revealed that it was Shastri who had asked him to bowl in the first session to exploit the dampness in the pitch.
"After we lost the toss, Shastri came to me and went “ashhhh”. I was wearing my pant and suddenly taken aback! I said yes Ravi bhai. He roared in typical style ‘get the ball in the first 10 overs’.
"I was like get the ball in the first 10 overs in Melbourne? He said 'I’ve told Jinx, it’s damp and might spin’. As he said, I got the ball early… and the ball spun immediately. I was like wow, what’s happening!", Ashwin had said.
(With 'Backstage with Boria' Inputs)
