Ajinkya Rahane might return for third SA TestÂ
What's the story?
The series might be gone but it looks as though Ajinkya Rahane might get a chance to feature in the third Test between India and South Africa that begins on January 24 at Johannesburg. He was omitted from the side for the first two Tests which India lost that saw Rohit Sharma take his place owing to his "current form".
At the team's practice session on Sunday, Rahane was padded up and lined up along with captain Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya in what could be the middle-order combination that India go with for the third Test as Rohit has failed to live upto the expectations and India's inability to stand up to the South African pace attack.
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Rahane, who has been one of India's most consistent overseas performers, played no part in the first two Tests, both of which the visitors lost due to the inability of the batsmen to stand up to the four-man South African pace attack. The visitors lost the first Test in Cape Town by 72 runs despite a splendid bowling effort and went down by 135 runs in the second as the hosts took an unassailable lead in the series.
The Details
If the practice session at the Wanderers was any indication, Rahane, one of India's most consistent performers overseas, looks set to return to the starting line-up as India look to avoid a whitewash in South Africa. After the routine batting and fielding sessions, Kohli and Rahane went for an extended session and were the last ones to walk out after sweating it out for nearly four hours in training.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami bowled with the new ball at the nets and the former might make a return to the side after being dropped for the second Test.
What's next?
India will be looking to avoid a whitewash as they take on South Africa in the third at the Wanderers, starting on Wednesday.
Author's take
Rahane can certainly count himself unlucky to have been dropped from the side despite his stellar record overseas. While this might be a case of too little, too late from the Indian side, his return might just be enough for the visitors to ensure that they don't succumb to a whitewash at Johannesburg.