Ajinkya Rahane Reveals Why Team India Declined Steve Smith’s Beer Offer
Mar 30, 2017 at 5:39 PM
Ajinkya Rahane, India’s stand-in skipper for the final Test against Australia, has revealed the reason for not accepting Steve Smith’s offer of drinking beer after the end of the ill-tempered series which the hosts won 2-1.
With players from both the teams all set to share the dressing rooms in the coming days due to the Indian Premier League (IPL), Australia skipper Smith reached out to IPL teammate Rahane and the Indian team, offering a round of beer to leave the bitter memories of the series behind.
“I asked if he wanted us to come in for a drink being at the end of the series. He said he’d get back to me. With Ajinkya, we get on well. He’s in my IPL team so I’ll be with him for the next few weeks,” Smith had said after the fourth Test.
However, the Indian team did not accept the proposal from the rival skipper and Rahane has now revealed the reason for the same. The right-handed batsman, who led the team to a fantastic win in Dharamsala, said that the hosts could not oblige to Smith’s request since they were busy celebrating the win.
The fourth Test brought down curtains on a long home season that saw the Indian team playing as many as 13 Tests in the last six months and so it is not surprising that the players decided to celebrate the conclusion of a highly-successful season with their teammates.
“We had our own celebrations together in our dressing rooms and I was busy there. I enjoyed the moment with my team. ” said, Rahane at a press conference in New Delhi.
The Mumbai batsman further insisted that the players should leave the series behind and move ahead.
“It was a well-fought series and we all played good cricket. Credit goes to the both the teams. But I believe in staying with the present. My focus is on the IPL now,” he said.