“Winning a test in Australia is always special but to do so given the wounds of Adelaide and the absence of key players makes it one for the ages,” read a tweet from commentator Harsha Bhogle after India levelled the series against Australia in Melbourne. India chased down the paltry target of 70 runs after having a couple of early hiccups on Tuesday.
Well, Bhogle’s judgement about the win has been on point. This isn’t just a special win but an emotional one too.
The Indian fans were left in despair after what happened in Adelaide. Having dominated the Test for almost six sessions, an hour of mayhem saw the visitors getting bundled out for 36 and eventually losing the game.
This wasn’t the end of the problems for India. Pacer Mohammed Shami had got injured and was ruled out while skipper Virat Kohli was returning back home for the birth of his first child and the inconsistent opening batting was exposed.
Cut to Boxing Day where Ajinkya Rahane was forced to don the captain’s hat. But this wasn’t just another instance when the deputy was taking up the position in the skipper’s absence. There was much more to it.
For starters, if India had suffered a defeat in this Test, the side would have lost the chances of winning the series. But the concern wasn’t just about winning the Test and levelling the series but it was about picking the right XI.
Rahane started off the proceedings with a bold step of playing two debutants in one single match. Shubman Gill replaced Prithvi Shaw while Mohammed Siraj came in for injured Shami.
The two youngsters didn’t disappoint and played a vital role in the visiting team’s success in Melbourne. While Gill scored 45 and 35* in his two innings on debut, Siraj picked up a total of five wickets.
Another couple of changes that were seen in the side were - Rishabh Pant finding a place for himself while Ravindra Jadeja too donning the Test jersey.
Mayank Agarwal’s rough patch continued while Cheteshwar Pujara hasn’t made any significant contribution on the scoresheet so far. He did play out a lot of deliveries but Pujara not being among runs is a major issue for India. This did become a cause of concern as India were reduced to 64/3 in reply to Australia’s 195 in the first innings.
Then came the time when the skipper took the responsibility on himself and there was no looking back. Rahane had a couple of crucial partnerships with Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant respectively and then frustrated the home side’s bowling attack with a stand of 121 runs with Jadeja.
The left-right duo stitched an important partnership that certainly steadied the ship for India and eventually handed them a lead in the first innings. Rahane went on to score a ton but his celebrations showed that he still meant business.
There were no high jumps or aggressive celebrations. He just acknowledged the crowd showing his bat and was back to take the guard. He continued from where he had left off and continued to score runs, but in a cautious manner.
Unfortunately for India, the right-handed batsman was eventually dismissed for 112, becoming a victim of a controversial runout.
There were instances in the game that would have left any captain fuming. He initially got runout after a yes-no call with Jadeja. A well-set Rahane had to return back to the pavilion. But the dismissal didn’t irritate him. He in fact gave a pat on the back to Jadeja and went back silently.
Another instance of Rahane’s calmness unfolded when Siraj pushed him to take a DRS call that didn’t go India’s way. The ball had pitched outside the leg-stump line and a review was wasted. But the captain didn’t utter a word and backed the youngster.
Owing to his instincts, Rahane made the perfect bowling changes and also placed the fielders at the ideal positions that fetched him wickets. Eventually, Siraj returned with a three-for while Jadeja, Bumrah, and Ashwin scalped a couple of wickets each.
Last year, a comment from former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar did the rounds after he called Jadeja a bits and pieces player. A lot of heated stuff was exchanged on social media.
Well, the fans have moved on from this but it seems Jadeja is up to prove a point and he once again did what he is best at. The left-handed batsman first steadied the ship for the side with skipper Rahane in the first innings and went on to score an important half-century. The left-arm player also chipped in with important wickets.
But Jadeja’s heroics ain’t something new. He is a well-known batsman when it comes to the domestic circuit. He has played some fine knocks and has even notched up three triple tons.
Rahane certainly capitalised on Jadeja’s batting ability more and it played perfectly well for India.
As far as Rahane’s report card as a captain in this Test is concerned, he has been just phenomenal and has ticked all the boxes. He scored crucial runs, backed his players, and made some important calls and at the right time that helped India level the series.
He is calm but a shrewd captain who is holding the fort well for now.
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