Ajinkya Rahane's curious 5 phases of extremes
Before the Leeds Test, Ajinkya Rahane told the press that he wasn't too concerned about the constant scrutiny over his batting form. The Indian Test vice-captain made it seem like the criticism didn't hold too much of a basis.
What followed was a new day, a new Test and another chance to prove his mettle in trying conditions. But it was the same story for Ajinkya Rahane, who managed scores of 18 and 10 as India faced an innings defeat.
One may argue that Ajinkya Rahane's half-century arrested the momentum rapidly swinging towards England during the second innings at Lord's. But the frequency of such innings has drastically reduced and led to the following stats.
It's not clear if the Indian vice-captain will continue to draw support from the team management, but going by their reluctance to admit the problem, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him feature in the Indian XI at the Oval.
To understand Ajinkya Rahane's batting downfall, we need to revisit his timeline and break it into phases.
Phase 1: Runs, runs, wait, wait, bad luck and finally, the moment
Until Australia's tour of India in March 2013
Already a big name in the junior circuits of Mumbai cricket, the country first took note of Ajinkya Rahane during the 2006-07 India U-19's tour of New Zealand. As an 18-year-old opener, he topped the run-scoring charts in the Youth Tests with 358 runs at an average of 71.6. Virat Kohli scored 184 runs in the series and Kane Williamson 146. He continued the good run in Youth ODIs too.
There was the buzz that here was someone who could score at will in the overseas conditions. Could he make it big?
Later in 2007, he made his first-class debut for Mumbai against Karachi Urban in Karachi during the Mohammad Nissar Trophy. He slammed 143. Although he missed the bus for the U-19 World Cup, he continued to pile on the runs. During a Vijay Hazare Trophy match in 2008, Ajinkya Rahane scored a 142-ball 187 against Maharashtra to help Mumbai to a 216-run win. It was the new record for the highest List A score by an Indian, beating Sachin Tendulkar's 186 not out against New Zealand at Hyderabad in 1999.
Wasim Jaffer's return to the Mumbai side after India-axe forced Ajinkya Rahane to no.3, but that didn't stop his run-making habit. Here was a batter, comfortable opening and, if required, could play in the middle-order.
Ajinkya Rahane's good run in domestic cricket was finally rewarded with an India debut in a one-off T20I during the 2011 England tour. It was unusual for someone with truckloads of first-class runs to see him make his national debut against the white ball. Anyway, the Mumbai batter made it count with a fine fifty. Thereon, he didn't set the stage alight in white-ball cricket and continued his wait for a Test debut.
He was drafted into the Indian Test squad in November 2011 for the home series against the West Indies. For the next 16 months, it was either warming benches in the national side or scoring runs in domestic cricket and touring teams. During this timeframe, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman retired to open up places in the middle-order. Virat Kohli cemented his position. Cheteshwar Pujara made a comeback, and so did Suresh Raina. Openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir also got dropped, but Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan walked in.
Here was someone with almost six years of experience in first-class cricket, boasting a batting average of over 63, who could bat in the middle-order and also open. All that Ajinkya Rahane could do was just wait. It did feel like luck had betrayed him, but luck has a strange way of making it up when we consider travel back to the present. But that's for later.
In the meantime, he was doing well in the IPL under the tutelage of his idol Rahul Dravid at Rajasthan Royals. Many had christened the likable young lad as the next "Wall of Indian cricket".
An injury to Shikhar Dhawan opened Ajinkya Rahane's door to Test cricket as he made his debut against Australia in March 2013 in Delhi. Batting at no.5, he made just eight runs in the match as India pulled off a 4-0 whitewash. He didn't play in the two home Tests against the West Indies, best remembered as Sachin Tendulkar's last series.
Phase 2: Ajinkya Rahane's rise to India's best Test batsman
India's tour of South Africa in 2013 until the end of New Zealand tour of India 2016
Sachin Tendulkar's retirement opened a slot in the middle order, and Ajinkya Rahane made his way back into the Indian side for the challenging 2013-14 tour of South Africa. Against a bowling attack comprising Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander, he averaged almost 70 in the series.
Now sealing a middle-order spot, Ajinkya Rahane kept proving himself in the toughest of conditions, scoring his maiden hundred against New Zealand in Wellington and then came another ton at Lord's that set up a famous win for India. He continued to score in Australia and by then had established himself as an important member of the ODI setup.
He was a member of India's 2014 T20 World Cup squad and was an important part of the team's 2015 ODI World Cup campaign. He was also appointed Virat Kohli's deputy in Test cricket.
A prolific scorer overseas, he proved his skills in testing home conditions against the touring South Africans by scoring twin tons in the Delhi Test.
His happy run continued during the 2016 West Indies tour and followed it up with a good run against the visiting Kiwis at home. Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli added a 365-run stand for the fourth wicket in the Indore Test. While the Indian captain scored a double hundred, Rahane's 188 remains his highest score in Tests.
He averaged 53.68 from his 28 Tests during this phase, slamming eight tons, five of which came overseas. He averaged 35 in ODIs during that phase, scoring two hundreds. He was a backup opener and a middle-order mainstay. He also got a shot at the Indian captaincy and won an ODI series in Zimbabwe.
India's top run-getters during this phase
Test careers of the Big 3 till that October 2016
What made Ajinkya Rahane stand out was his ability to excel in every condition. He rose to sixth spot in the ICC batting rankings in Test cricket.
Phase 3: Ajinkya Rahane’s prolonged off form
England tour of India 2016 until the India tour of Australia 2019
Now a settled no.4 batter in ODIs, Ajinkya Rahane had to open against New Zealand in the absence of Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul. He seemed out of his comfort zone, pushing the ball hard. The struggles continued in the Test series against the visiting Englishmen in November 2016 before getting injured after the third Test.
Karun Nair seized the opportunity by becoming the second Indian to slam a triple hundred in Tests. But Ajinkya Rahane was an important member who replaced Nair when he got fit. The latter had his fortunes to blame.
Australians toured India in 2017. With Virat Kohli woefully out of touch, it was Ajinkya Rahane’s chance to take charge and lead the show. He got some starts but found novel ways to get out. It was excusable as every cricketer goes through such phases. But he did lead the show as captain. In one of the brightest moments of his career, he led India to a win in the 2017 Dharamsala Test against Australia and reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
His wait for the ninth ton finally ended in Sri Lanka. He had got eight in his first 29 Tests; he had to wait for 10 matches for this one.
By now, Ajinkya Rahane was making his mark again as an ODI opener with consistent starts, plundering runs in the West Indies and then against Australia at home. It was unfortunate that Shikhar Dhawan’s return pushed him down the order, and a string of low scores halted his ODI run. Perhaps he was too focused on the 2019 World Cup berth.
His Test form completely left him behind, as he managed just 17 runs in the three home Tests against Sri Lanka. Leading up to the South Africa tour, Ajinkya Rahane scored 111 runs from nine first-class innings (five in Tests) at an average of 12.33. He was dropped for the first two Tests in favor of Rohit Sharma, who failed to capitalize on the opportunity. The Indian vice-captain returned for the third Test in Johannesburg and scored a crucial 48 in the second innings, playing a sizeable role in the team’s win.
Ajinkya Rahane played all five Tests in England in 2018, scoring 257 runs at 25.7 as India went down 1-4. In Australia, the performance was marginally better as he averaged 31.
Earlier in 2018, he lost his place in the ODI side, which ended his dream of playing in the 2019 World Cup.
Top Indian batters from November 2016 till January 2019
Test careers of the Big 3 till January 2019
The phase saw him average below Hardik Pandya (31.3) and Wriddhiman Saha (30).
Ajinkya Rahane was failing against the red ball even beyond international cricket.
During the 2019 World Cup, Ajinkya Rahane wasn’t too far from his national teammates, playing for Hampshire in the County Championship. He started his campaign with a century, but finished his stint with 307 runs in 13 innings at 23.6. He scored three ducks that season, including a pair against Essex.
Phase 4: Ajinkya Rahane returns
India’s tour of the West Indies 2019 until the Boxing Day Test 2020
August 2019 marked the start of the World Test Championship (WTC). Shubman Gill was breaking open the selection doors. Rohit Sharma’s form was too good to ignore. The question remained if Ajinkya Rahane can hold on to his spot? Well, he did. Captain Virat Kohli openly backed his deputy, and the latter repaid the faith with 81 and 102. It was his first century in two years.
Thereon, a more consistent Ajinkya Rahane was on display. In the next series against South Africa, he got another hundred at home – a milestone that he achieved after three long years.
After a poor series in New Zealand and a disastrous start in Australia, India stared at a hopeless situation. Indian cricket was at its lowest point after getting bowled out for 36 in the Adelaide Test. If Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma’s injuries weren’t big blows enough, Virat Kohli’s departure compounded the woes.
Captain Ajinkya Rahane didn’t blink. Not only did he lead the side brilliantly in Melbourne, but he also starred with a gritty 112. He led India to one of their greatest wins to level the series 1-1.
India’s highest run-getters from August 2019 to December 2020
Test careers of the Big 3 till December 2020
It seemed like the return of the vintage Ajinkya Rahane, the man who didn’t discriminate between scoring at home and overseas. By the end of 2020, he returned at the no.6 in the ICC Rankings for Test batters.
Phase 5: The woeful middle-order slump of 2021
Although Ajinkya Rahane failed to score big in the Sydney and Brisbane Tests, he led India exceedingly way as they scripted history in Australia. Despite all the handicaps due to injuries, he had his strategy spot-on as an Indian side without at least seven of their leading players became the first side to beat Australia in Brisbane in 32 years.
Though the captain had a few starts, he failed to convert them into sizeable scores. To his glee, the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar came good with the bat.
Virat Kohli returned as captain for the home series against England. Though Ajinkya Rahane scored a crucial 67 in Chennai, he remained inconsistent throughout the series.
During the WTC final against New Zealand at Southampton, he made all the efforts to reach 49 before throwing his wicket to a half-hearted pull.
Ajinkya Rahane’s inconsistent shows continued during the Test series against England. Barring an important 61 at Lord’s, he has failed to get past 20 in his four other outings.
With just three scores over 40 in his 17 innings in 2021, time seems to be running out for Indian vice-captain, especially with Hanuma Vihari, Suryakumar Yadav, Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw waiting on the bench. His Test batting ranking has dropped to 18th spot.
India’s highest run-getters in 2021
Test careers of the Big 3 till August 2021
In 2021, India’s middle-order (no.3 to 6) averages 30.12, which is the second-lowest amongst all est-playing nations. Only West Indies is below India with a batting average of 29 in the mentioned positions.
The Indian team management has defended Ajinkya Rahane over time. If he finds a spot for the Oval Test, the fans will hope he makes it big. After all, nine out of his 12 hundreds have resulted in an Indian victory, whereas three have come in a draw.