IND vs NZ 2021: Ajinkya Rahane will get one more chance in Mumbai, unfortunately Shreyas Iyer might miss out – VVS Laxman

Former Indian batter VVS Laxman reckons veteran batsman Ajinkya Rahane will get one more chance in the second Test match which will be played in Mumbai when Virat Kohli will get back into the team.

Laxman feels Shreyas Iyer, who made a fantastic debut in the opening Test at Kanpur will, unfortunately, miss out.

Ajinkya Rahane has been struggling with his form as he has scored 683 runs in the last 29 innings at an average of 24.12. Consequently, a lot of cricket boffins have raised doubts about Rahane’s selection in the playing XI.

“Yes, it’s going to be a tough choice because of the way he batted, the way he rescued the innings. The way some of those batters got out in the morning session, it’s certainly a selection dilemma,” Laxman told Star Sports on Sunday.

“You want someone in Mumbai to play in good form. However, I think there is an unwritten rule that whoever is injured or whoever misses out… the senior player, in this case, Virat Kohli, will return and senior players Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara who haven’t been in great form, especially Ajinkya Rahane will still get one more chance in Mumbai. “I don’t think Rahul Dravid or Virat Kohli will leave out Rahane,” he added.

On the other hand, Iyer scored a fine knock of 105 runs in his maiden Test innings and became the 16th Indian player to score a Test century on debut. Subsequently, he followed it with another good knock of 65 runs and thus became the first Indian player to score a century and a fifty in his debut Test match. Ergo, it will be hard on Shreyas Iyer if goes on to miss the second Test despite making a dream start to his Test career.

Laxman added: “Unfortunately, it will force the team to leave out someone who has had a fantastic debut. It will be unfortunate but I think that has been the rule as far this Indian team is concerned.”

Meanwhile, former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull believes Shreyas Iyer can’t be left out after making a fine start to his Test career. The renowned commentator feels Ajinkya Rahane should be dropped.

“You can’t deny a player like Shreyas Iyer a Test match after a hundred and fifty. For me, unfortunately, Ajinkya Rahane misses out,” Doull said.

“I understand that talk about loyalty but loyalty lasts only a certain amount of time. They have shown an immense amount of loyalty in Pujara and Rahane. Pujara has gone 39 innings at No. 3 without a hundred.

“So he has had a fair crack at it. Rahane’s average has dropped from nearly 50 to under 40. He scored only one fifty in England. I think he has had his time,” he added.

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

“Never expected a very easy run” – Gautam Gambhir reflects on his tenure as coach after IND vs NZ 2024 Test series defeat

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has admitted that he never expected a very easy run… Read More

October 31, 2024

Probably has a lot to do with playing on flat wickets in T20 – Gautam Gambhir on decline of good defensive technique in Test cricket

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir feels T20 cricket has led to the downfall of a… Read More

October 31, 2024

India needs Mumbai Test win before Australia tour – Gautam Gambhir

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir feels the Rohit Sharma-led team desperately needs to win the… Read More

October 31, 2024

I cannot say just the batters have let us down – Gautam Gambhir feels everyone should take responsibility for series loss against New Zealand

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to blame the batters after the team’s 2-0 series… Read More

October 31, 2024

It was insane – Bronny James after scoring his first NBA bucket

Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James was on cloud nine after he managed to score… Read More

October 31, 2024

I’m happy with my team’s performance: Mohun Bagan SG head coach Jose Molina after win against Hyderabad FC

Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Jose Molina was delighted with the team’s performance after… Read More

October 31, 2024