Ajinkya Rahane Doesn’t Need To Change His Game Or Personality: Harbhajan Singh

Nov 20, 2020 at 7:00 PM

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Ajinkya Rahane Doesn’t Need To Change His Game Or Personality: Harbhajan Singh

Ajinkya Rahane will be the one to lead the Indian side in important Test matches in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth with Virat Kohli missing the last three Tests to attend birth of child back home. Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has a piece of advice for him.

Ajinkya Rahane will have added responsibility on his shoulders during India’s tour of Australia. The Indian vice-captain will not only be the middle-order mainstay for his country in tough and challenging Australian conditions but will also most likely lead the side in the final three Tests of the tour.

Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane. (Image Credit: Getty Images).

Ajinkya Rahane Doesn’t Need To Change Game Or Personality : Harbhajan Singh

Virat Kohli has opted out of the final three Tests as his wife Anushka Sharma is due to give birth in January and his absence will be dearly missed by the team. He will play only the first test- a day night affair at Adelaide.

Harbhajan Singh has said that Ajinkya Rahane has his own personality and it would be a mistake for him to try and copy Virat Kohli’s leadership style in the final three tests against Australia.

“He’s very calm and composed, not so expressive. He’s very different to Virat Kohli,” Harbhajan, who played 103 tests and 236 one-dayers between 1998-2015, told Sport Tak.

Harbhajan SinghHarbhajan Singh. Image Credit: BCCI.

“I would like to remind Rahane that he doesn’t need to change his game or personality. Looking at a personality like Virat, Rahane might think that he has to adopt some of it to beat Australia. But I don’t think that’s necessary. All Rahane needs to do is be himself and make sure he gets the best out of his team,” said the off-spinner.

Under Virat Kohli, India beat Australia 2-1 in 2018/19, becoming the first Asian side to triumph in a Test series Down Under but since David Warner and Steve Smith returns after missing the last tour due to ban besides Virat Kohli’s absence, gives Australia an advantage considering Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne in red hot form averaging above 60.

Harbhajan Singh: India Surely Miss Virat Kohli Who Has A Great Record In Australia And Has Enough Experience As Skipper

Harbhajan Singh had no doubts India would miss their captain Virat Kohli, who is also their batting mainstay. Virat Kohli is India’s most successful test captain with 33 wins in 55 games and Ajinkya Rahane have captained India previously in 2 tests both at home and India won both of them.

“Virat has an unbelievable record in Australia, something every batsman aspires. So definitely India is going to miss Kohli in the batting unit. Then his experience as captain. His aggression, leading from the front, that is Virat Kohli. He always puts his best foot forward. His body language, his intent. India is going to miss him,” Harbhajan Singh added.

Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli. Credits: AP

The tour begins in Sydney on Nov. 27 with the first of the three one-day internationals, which will be followed by an equal number of Twenty20 matches. The 4 match Test series commence on December 17.

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