Sachin Tendulkar, India’s legendary former batsman is trusting stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane to lead India well in the absence of Virat Kohli in the remaining three Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
After skipper Virat Kohli headed back home for the birth of his first child, Ajinkya Rahane will don the leader’s cap for Team India for the upcoming Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne, which begins on Saturday.
Sachin Tendulkar: Ajinkya Rahane’s Calmness Doesn’t Mean He Is Not Aggressive
The Mumbai batsman has previously led India in two Test matches and India won both at home but this will be his first overseas captaincy job which remains an uphill task for him after India tasted an embarrassing eight-wicket defeat in the series-opening day-night Test after registering lowest ever Test score of 36.
“Ajinkya has led India earlier also, and his calmness doesn’t mean he is not aggressive. Each person has his way of showing aggression. Someone who doesn’t show aggression doesn’t mean he’s not aggressive. (Cheteshwar) Pujara, for example, is very calm and composed; his body language is into the game, focused. But that doesn’t mean that Pujara is trying any less than anyone else,” Sachin Tendulkar told the Business Standard.
The master blaster Sachin Tendulkar also stated that Ajinkya Rahane’s calm demeanour doesn’t mean that he lacks aggression and he has his own way of showing combativeness.
Sachin Tendulkar: It’s Up to Team Management To Plan Strategy
Ajinkya Rahane has played 66 Tests and has 4245 runs averaging 42.45. He had previously led India against Afghanistan and Australia in India.
Former batting ace further added that, “Each person has his own way of reacting and responding to situations, but I can assure you everyone’s destination is one; they’ve different routes to get there — and that is how they can make India win. So, Ajinkya’s would be a different style, different strategies. That is up to the team management — how they plan, how the pitch plays, and what our batting and bowling line-ups would be.”
Since their best batsman is missing from the team, India will have to work extremely hard to level the series which they remarkably won 2-1 on their last tour to Australia in 2018-19.
India won their maiden Test series in 2018-19 after Cheteshwar Pujara top-scored with 521 runs. Ajinkya Rahane is considered a Test specialist nowadays as he had last played an ODI way back in 2018 and last T20I in 2016.