Former England skipper Nasser Hussain lavished praise on Indian veteran middle-order batter Ajinkya Rahane for his well-composed knock against Australia in the 1st innings of the World Test Championship final on Friday. The 35-year-old batted brilliantly in the middle alongside Shardul Thakur to give the Indian team a decent chance to make come back into the side.
Ajinkya Rahane was the highest run-getter for the Indian team in the 1st innings of the game against Australia as he scored 89 runs forming a vital partnership alongside Shardul Thakur in the lower-middle order as they shared 109 runs for the 7th wicket to help the Indian team reach a total of 296 runs in the 1st innings.
Speaking on the air, cricketer-turned-commentator Nasser Hussain hailed him as the ideal batter to bat in those kinds of situations, as the Indian veteran has done it for his team over a long period of time in overseas conditions including his brilliant knock in Lord’s 2014.
“I watched him in the 2014 Lord’s Test, on a green top, he got a brilliant hundred. I think he is absolutely the ideal cricketer to come in in a game like this,” Nasser Hussain said.
The 35-year-old made a comeback into the side after being dropped for his underwhelming performances for the Indian team in 2021-22. The Indian veteran batted beautifully in tough Oval conditions, to bat them out of trouble to avoid the follow-on in the 1st innings.
Ajinkya Rahane Has Batted Well For India, It’s Good Fight For India – Sourav Ganguly
Former BCCI President Sourav Ganguly feels that the Indian top-order batters should take cue for his batting as he showed the batters it is all about applying some skills in the middle to score against the Australian attack and hailed him for a fantastic partnership alongside Shardul Thakur to bat the Indian side out of the trouble in the 1st innings.
“He showed a lot to the dressing room that if you apply and if you have a little bit of luck which India have, you will be able to bat on this pitch, a lot of credit to Rahane, he was magnificent and Shardul Thakur as well. He has batted well for India. It’s a good fight for India,” Sourav Ganguly said.
Ajinkya Rahane will have a crucial role to play alongside India’s top order comprising skipper Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, experienced Cheteshwar Pujara, and Virat Kohli to give their side a real chance to make come back against the Australian team in the Ultimate World Test Championship final.