Ajinkya Rahane’s wife Radhika Dhopavkar has revealed that the ace cricketer refused to go for scans after he was hit on his finger during his knock for India in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC 2023) final being played at the Oval against Australia.
On the second day of the match, Rahane was struck on the index finger of his right hand by a Pat Cummins bouncer. He immediately felt pain and sought treatment from the physiotherapist.
Ajinkya Rahane, who scored 89 runs in the first Test after his 18-month hiatus, hoped that the finger injury he experienced on Thursday would not interfere with his batting in the World Test Championship final against Australia.
“He (Rahane) got a bad blow on his finger. It does not look too bad, it is being assessed. He did not go out in the field as it would have been risky and he had already fractured the same finger previously. He will definitely bat,” Shardul Thakur had said during the post-day presser.
Rahane faced 129 balls and struck 11 fours and a six during his stay in the middle. His 109-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Shardul Thakur (51 off 109) kept India in the game but Australia still managed to take a massive 173-run first-inning lead.
Radhika Dhopavkar Proud Of Ajinkya Rahane’s Unwavering Team Spirit Despite Getting Hit On The Finger
Ajinkya Rahane was happy with the way he batted despite missing out on a century by 11 runs. However, he did pass the 5,000-run mark in Test cricket becoming the 13th Indian to do so.
A couple of strikes to the hand during his knock were of particular concern for Rahane, who was taken for tests on a finger that he has fractured previously in his career. However, Rahane will be able to bat in the fourth innings, which is good news for India.
“It was painful but quite manageable,” Rahane told ICC after the close of play on Day 3.
On the other hand, Radhika Dhopavkar revealed that Ajinkya Rahane refused to go for scans despite the team management urging him to do so and added that she was proud of his team spirit.
“Despite your swollen finger, you refused a scan to protect your mindset and focused on batting, displaying incredible selflessness and determination. With unwavering resilience and commitment, you took your place at the crease, inspiring us all. I’m forever proud of your unwavering team spirit, my resilient partner. Love you endlessly!”– Radhika posted on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram