Analysing Ajinkya Rahane's recent slump

With 63 runs in the current series versus England, Rahane isn’t having the best of times in Test cricket

"While learning karate, I was the smallest. And many opponents said, what will this young boy fight? But I knew inside me that I did not like to talk but show by doing"

Ajinkya Rahane quoted these words to the media last year when asked about standing tall to tough challenges. Rahane doesn’t give his rivals an intimidating look, but can get on top of them in no time. Speak tons about the tranquility of Rahane's temperament and malleability - the reason why he has been a hit in all three formats.

Six years down the line since making his debut, Ajinkya Rahane had a mixed bag in terms of taking giant strides in the world stage. Though he cemented his prospects in the Test team, limited overs cricket didn't shine radiantly on the man from Maharashtra.

Lately, oppositions have figured Rahane out to get rid of him rather cheaply even in the game’s longest version. A string of low scores is a palpable manifestation of Rahane's form slump. Though it's not a gigantically major concern for Rahane's unshakable mentality, but it's always about performing handsomely for a player to stay put in a team line-up.

Numbers: Not full-proof, yet a prominent facet

In 2016 Rahane has got a couple of centuries, but apart from that he didn’t quite hit his straps

We take a look at how the career shaped up till date. Though his ODI numbers aren’t screaming their throats apart for Rahane, but it hardly belittles his panache as a batsman.

Tests
Span	Matches	Runs	Highest	Average	Fifties	Hundreds
2013-2016	32	2272	188	47.33	9	8
One Day Internationals
Span	Matches	Runs	Highest	Average	Fifties	Hundreds
2011-2016	72	2236	111	32.88	16	2

The Test numbers are impressive enough to rate the Mumbaikar highly. Pretty uncharacteristic of a subcontinent batsman, out of the eight test centuries he scored, five have been racked up overseas that includes ones in New Zealand, England, Australia, Sri Lanka, West Indies. He also has three centuries in typically low and slow wickets at home.

The ODI format, albeit, hasn’t been as sparkling as the Test format. Barring the two centuries versus England and Sri Lanka, the average drops down a tad under 31 which isn’t justice to the pugnacious potential. Now let’s have a sneak peek into the comparison of Rahane from 2011-15 and Rahane in 2016.

Tests
Span	Matches	Runs	Highest	Average	Fifties	Hundreds
2013-2015	22	1619	147	44.97	7	6
2016	10	653	188	54.41	2	2
One Day Internationals
Span	Matches	Runs	Highest	Average	Fifties	Hundreds
2011-2015	63	1952	111	32.53	13	2
2016	9	284	89	35.50	3	0

His Test figures in 2016 look spectacular, going by the statistics. An average of 54.41 emphasizes his relevance as a Test batsman. But, as we say that statistics isn’t full-proof, hence deep down, there are major intricacies.

More than ODI’s, it’s the glum shows in Test cricket that got Rahane under its stranglehold. Now let’s analyse Rahane’s Test records in 2016 taking some criteria into account.

Ajinkya Rahane in 2016 - Barring two centuries

Dismissed (Times)	Runs	Highest	Average	Fifties
11	357	78	32.45	2

Ajinkya Rahane in 2016 - After the 188 in Indore (3^rd Test versus New Zealand)

Dismissed (Times)	Runs	Highest	Average	Fifties
5	63	26	12.60	0

He has indeed got two scintillating tons in 2016 against West Indies and New Zealand, but somehow was unable to support them with decent scores. The average in 2016 dipped to 32.45. The recent series in England has been a disaster for Rahane. With a highest score of 26, he is languishing way below at number 14 in the list of top run-getters in the ongoing Test series between England and India.

Lower order batsmen in Ravichandran Ashwin (47.80), Ravindra Jadeja (37.00) and Jayant Yadav (58.50) having better averages than Rahane is a bit of a disgrace for the spunky talent from the western part of India.

Strategically hunting down Rahane

Rahane’s return to form is a matter of time considering the class of the man

Let’s have a peek into all five modes of dismissal. It will give a clear indication of what’s disturbing Rahane.

1^st Test: Rajkot

1^st Innings: bowled Zafar Ansari: goes on to the back foot and attempts to work the ball from outside off-stump, mistimes it and the ball ricochets off the pads and onto the stumps.

2^nd Innings: bowled Moeen Ali: rocks back on to the back foot, tries to cut a turning off-break against the turn, mistimes it onto his pads and then disturbed the leg stump.

 

2^nd Test: Vishakhapatnam

1^st Innings: caught Jonathan Bairstow bowled James Anderson: precariously hangs his bat at an away going delivery outside the off-stump, presents a safe chance to Bairstow behind the stumps.

2^nd Innings: caught Alistair Cook bowled Stuart Broad: guides the ball into the waiting hands of Alistair Cook in the slips. Deceived by a back-of-a-length off-cutter by Broad.

 

3^rd Test: Mohali  

1st innings: LBW Adil Rashid: misread a googly and trapped plumb in front of the stumps. Umpires decision retained after the decision being reviewed through the DRS.

In the first Test, Rahane has been guilty of miss-judging the length of the delivery. On both occasions, a horizontal bat stroke attributed to his demise. Spinners were the perpetrators both the times.

In the second Test, it was the turn of England’s premier fast bowlers in Anderson and Broad to unveil another shortcoming of Rahane’s technique. He has been caught napping of fishing outside the off-stump to deliveries, which could have been left alone.

In the third Test, he couldn’t pick the ball of Rashid’s hand and succumbed as a result.

At the time of stumbling through a lean patch, everything seems to go haywire for a batsman. Inside edges trickle on to the stumps, scorching strokes go into the hands of the lone fielder patrolling the boundary, breathtaking piece of run-outs to trap the batsman - some of the few modes of dismissal when lady luck isn’t generous on the batsman.

Ajinkya Rahane has every ammunition in his catalogue to stage a comeback. India, next, will be locking horns with England in the 4^th Test at Mumbai on the 8^th of December and Rahane will be on the firing line to perform better than what he has done previously in the series. Nonetheless, he is too classy a player to remain out of form for a substantial time span.