3 reasons why Ajinkya Rahane may have played his last Test for India
5, 1, 61, 18, 10, 14, 0 - these were Ajinkya Rahane's scores in the India-England series, which appeared to reach a premature end after the visitors expressed concerns over playing the fifth and final Test in Manchester.
Fans and experts have been calling for Rahane's head for quite a while now, but Virat Kohli and the team management have placed their faith in him. After the fifth Test was indefinitely postponed, however, things don't look too good for India's vice-captain.
While some still believe Rahane has it in him to reaffirm his place as one of India's most important Test batsmen, his place in the team is under serious question. Here are three reasons why Ajinkya Rahane may have played his last Test for India.
#3 India's next Test series is at home against New Zealand
India's next two Test assignments as part of the 2021-23 World Test Championship cycle are extremely challenging. After meeting defending champions New Zealand for a two-Test series at home in November, Kohli's men will travel to South Africa in December.
While Ajinkya Rahane will be in India's plans for such high-profile series, he may not be part of the playing XI against New Zealand. He has an extremely poor home record, with his disturbing frailties against spin coming to the fore against England earlier this year.
Rahane often got caught on the crease against England's spinners, and didn't really make an impression barring a fifty in Chennai. With pitches in the subcontinent expected to throw up similar conditions, India might be well-served fielding good players of spin. Speaking of which...
#2 India have capable replacements for Ajinkya Rahane
With KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma sealing their places at the top of the order, and Cheteshwar Pujara finding form towards the end of the England Tests, India have few spots in the team that seriously need a rejig. The standout spot is the No. 5 slot currently occupied by Ajinkya Rahane.
There is no shortage of suitors for the place, with Hanuma Vihari and Suryakumar Yadav knocking down the door. Even top-order batsmen like Mayank Agarwal and Shubman Gill have been tipped to move to No. 5 and use the tools at their disposal to excel in the role.
All four batsmen are excellent players of spin and have fairly airtight techniques, two things that can't be said about Rahane at the moment. All four are also younger than Rahane, and their inclusion would help India make a smooth transition in the future.
#1 Ajinkya Rahane has already been given an extremely long rope
Since the start of 2020, Ajinkya Rahane has been wildly inconsistent. Barring his heroic ton in Melbourne following the 36 all-out debacle, India's vice-captain has crossed fifty only twice in 26 innings.
Even more concerning has been the manner of his dismissals, with Rahane finding a myriad of ways to get out. His problems don't seem to be limited to either technique or temperament, and there is almost no sense of security when he's in the middle.
Rahane has already been given an extremely long rope despite failure after failure, and time might've finally run out for the 33-year-old.