Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar feels that removing Ajinkya Rahane from the role of vice-captaincy might work wonders for him. Rahane remained unbeaten on 40 at the stumps of the first day in the Boxing Day Test.
In an hour and a half stay, the middle order batter looked in supreme touch as he played some gorgeous drives off the front-foot and took on the short-balls with authority. He has already added 73 runs with the centurion KL Rahul.
Notable that Rahane’s place in the final XI was in big question as he was fighting for the middle-order spot with Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari. Iyer had a dream Test debut last month as he scored a hundred in his debut innings against New Zealand at Kanpur while Vihari also played some crucial knocks against South Africa A last month.
But the team management chose to go with the experience of Rahane as the Mumbai batter played 3 Test matches before in South Africa. Former India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar believes that the Mumbai batter might take a cue from the coach Rahul Dravid’s book as he came out all guns blazing.
“At times, certain events can actually relieve you, maybe, lessen the burden a bit. Him being relieved of the vice-captaincy would have sent a particular signal to him, which obviously plays on every players’ mind. He has come out all guns blazing. He has been very positive in his footwork, he has put away all the bad balls,” Sanjay Bangar told Star Sports.
“He is the sort of player who likes to get good and quick starts. That was very similar to the way Rahul Dravid used to start his innings. He used to like to get to, say 20, in quick time so that there is less pressure on him. And that’s why Rahane also shows a similar pattern. All the innings where he has been successful, he has gotten off to flyers and then settled in nicely,” he added further.
India finished the first day with a score of 272/3 as KL Rahul (122*) and Rahane (40*) will resume their battle on the second morning at SuperSport Park, Centurion.