Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar believes Ajinkya Rahane will have a point to prove in the World Test Championship final against Australia. Rahane was dropped from the Test squad after his mundane performances and he played his last Test match against South Africa at the Newlands in 2022. Subsequently, he was not selected for home Test matches against Sri Lanka and Australia.
However, Rahane made a decent return to form in the domestic circuit. The right-hander played at his best in IPL 2023 as he scored 326 runs in 11 innings at an average of 32.60 and an impressive strike rate of 172.48.
Furthermore, Rahane smashed a 13-ball 27 cameo in the all-important final against Gujarat Titans to help his team chase down 171 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, and win by five wickets (DLS method). Ergo, the flamboyant batter will look to carry the good show in the World Test Championship final against Australia.
Gavaskar said Rahane has got the experience of playing in the English conditions and he will be looking to make the most of it.
“He’s got a lot of experience having played in England, having scored runs in England. So, yes, I think he is going to be crucial down at number 5. And yes, I do believe he has a point to prove, I still feel he has got plenty of cricket left in him, and this is a wonderful opportunity for him. I’m hoping he will be able to grab this opportunity with all the experience that he has and make a place for him back in the Indian team,” said Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
In fact, Rahane doesn’t have a great record of playing in the England conditions. He has scored 729 runs in 15 Test matches at an average of 26.03 while playing in England and thus he will be looking to turn a corner in the WTC Final, which will be played at the Oval from June 7.
