Ravi Shastri, former India coach, stated he’s “glad” Ajinkya Rahane is back in the Indian Test squad for the World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval. The final will be played on 7-11 June.
He said the moment Shreyas Iyer got injured, it became imperative to look in that direction given his experience. It helped significantly that ‘Jinks’ scored well in domestic cricket and has been in fine touch in the ongoing Indian Premier League.
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.
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A night before BCCI announced the WTC final squad, Rahane stamped his name on the sheet with a 29-ball 71 for Chennai Super Kings against Kolkata Knight Riders.
“I’m so glad he’s made it to the side,” Shastri told ESPNcricinfo. “He batted beautifully in these two-three games he’s played in the IPL, 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.”
Rahane’s last Test was against South Africa in January 2022. In those four innings, he scored just 68 runs. A year earlier, in 2021, he scored mere 479 runs in 13 Test matches at an average of 20.82. The last century had come against Australia in December 2020.
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Shastri compared Rahane’s comeback to that of Cheteshwar Pujara. He, too, ran out of favour 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,” Shastri said of Rahane’s inclusion. “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 handy.”
When asked if current form, even if in the IPL, and ball striking may have played a role in Rahane’s return, Shastri agreed.
“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.”
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