Ajinkya Rahane will not be rushed into a decision, India’s skipper Virat Kohli said following India’s 14th straight Test series triumph at home. Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, two of India’s most experienced batsmen, have been going through a rough patch recently, making it difficult to retain their places without getting replaced with younger, more exciting players.
Ajinkya Rahane has now averaged 24.39 in his previous 16 Tests, including a century in the Boxing Day Test over a year ago. His career average has fallen below 40 after he scored 35 and 4 in the previous Test. He averages 35.73 at home, but that has dropped to 30.08 in the last five years.
Shreyas Iyer, who replaced Virat Kohli in Kanpur, struck a century and a half in his first appearance. Rahane’s hamstring issue made it clear that Mayank Agarwal would have to stand aside when Virat Kohli returned to Mumbai. Then, Agarwal answered with a century and fifty runs of his own on a tricky pitch. A “pleasant headache” is what coach Rahul Dravid characterized in the scenario. However, he also acknowledged that he would have to assist and choose the best team, particularly in away Tests, when “tough choices” may be necessary.
Virat Kohli emphasises on Rahane and Pujara’s prior performances in critical conditions
Rahane and Pujara’s prior performances have been emphasized by Kohli, who has been known to be brutal and trigger-happy as captain in the first part of his Test career.
“I can’t judge Ajinkya’s form,” Virat Kohli said. “For that matter, no one can assess anyone’s shape because only the player understands what he needs to improve on. In the past, I have emphasized the importance of supporting players who have performed well in challenging circumstances in critical Test matches. If a player begins thinking about “what’s next” while under pressure, we don’t allow it in the squad.
I agree that we can’t expect this kind of balance from people on the outside who are praising a player and then calling for his head in two months. As a team, we do not and will not respond because of our understanding of how much work and effort it takes to get into a happy mental state, and we are here to support it. It doesn’t matter who it is. Decisions will not be made only based on the external environment,” Virat Kohli said.
Dravid and selectors would have a voice, but Kohli said critical choices might be taken after conversations. As he said, “Those are talks we will have with the selections today. A nice headache is a good headache, but you should seek clarification whenever possible. Before embarking on a series like South Africa, it is important to define precisely what you want to accomplish. When we get at the hotel, we’ll have a meeting right away to discuss these issues, which are critical.”
To get the most out of Shubman Gill, India considered moving him to the middle order, but KL Rahul’s injury meant that they couldn’t do so. The middle-order has become much more congested with Iyer’s arrival.
Is South Africa the next place they’ll attempt this?
According to Virat Kohli, “We need to dialogue about whom we consider experts in various situations. I’m not going to address these questions at a press conference. Discussions on these topics are necessary; you must determine what is best for the group as a whole and the people within it and then come to a consensus.
Most of the time, we arrive at a mutually agreeable solution to a problem. That’s how we want to go in the future, too. Everyone’s viewpoints are put out in long-winded debates,” Kohli signed off.
QUICK READ: List Of Experts Who Believe Ajinkya Rahane Should Be Dropped
