Legendary Sunil Gavaskar reckons Ajinkya Rahane never got the credit he deserved and compared the recently-retired player with Rahul Dravid. Rahane performed consistently for India, especially in overseas conditions but his performances did went under the radar.
The Mumbai batter played 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is for India while also featured in 212 IPL games for six teams. Rahane amassed 5077 Test runs at an average of 38.46, including 12 centuries, out of which eight came in overseas conditions.
Rahane led India in six Test matches, winning four out of them and drawing two. In his captaincy, India never lost a Test match.
“His record as a skipper is exceptional, with four wins out of six and no losses. Like Rahul Dravid, who also had some terrific wins under his captaincy but never got the credit he deserved, so also Rahane’s leadership hardly got the applause that it merited,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day.
Rahane also led India to a memorable Border-Gavaskar series win against Australia in 2020-21 after the visitors lost the opening Test at Adelaide, following their 36-run second innings collapse. He scored a magnificent century at the MCG to lead from the front and helped India draw the series. India then went on to register a historic win at the Gabba.
“After the demoralising collapse of 36 all out in the first Test of the 2021 series Down Under, it was Rahane, along with Ravi Shastri, who picked the team from the dumps. The vice-captain took over a ship that was ready to sink and not only sailed it into calmer waters but also gave India an unprecedented first win at Australia’s fortress ‘The Gabba’ and with it the series victory too,” wrote Gavaskar.
“In fact, in the final Test of the series, when most of the top players were unavailable due to injury, India pulled off one of its greatest victories in Test cricket. It proved once again, if ever it was needed, that nobody is indispensable in this game,” he added.
The Little Master further praised Rahane for his humility on the field and said he never made any enemies on the ground.
“Rahane leaves the game with his head held high and the sincere thanks of cricket lovers for the totally selfless way he played the game. It’s not of many cricketers that it can be said that they did not have a single enemy in the game. There are perhaps less than a dozen to the best of my knowledge and experience. Ajinkya Rahane can take his place there with his typical humility,” Gavaskar concluded.
Rahane played like a gentleman, and he can be really proud of his impressive career.
