"I don't think Ajinkya Rahane is the same player that he was in 2015-16"- Deep Dasgupta
Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta believes Indian Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane isn't the same batter he once was. Dasgupta opened up on the time he saw Rahane bat at the Wankhede Stadium in testing conditions.
Ajinkya Rahane used to bat at No.3 for Mumbai and consistently used to face the moving ball. Deep Dasgupta felt this was the reason why he was so successful in his first few Tests when Team India played away from home.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Deep Dasgupta explained why he feels Ajinkya Rahane was a lot more confident as a batter in 2015-16 than now.
"I don't think Rahane is the same player that he was. In 2015-16, Rahane was unbelievable. He was a player that I saw playing for Mumbai. The Wankhede pitch on the first morning was moist, the pitch had grass and it was a nightmare batting there those days. But Rahane scored more than 4000-4500 runs before playing for India, batting predominantly at No.3 position."
Ajinkya Rahane's footwork is not that definite now: Deep Dasgupta
Ajinkya Rahane, unlike any other Indian batters, has struggled to score in home conditions. Dasgupta feels that since Rahane is adept at playing against the swinging ball, it is the reverse swing that tests his footwork.
He further observed that Ajinkya Rahane's footwork improved drastically as he progressed into his innings.
"When you bat in India, your skill set changes. You play swing and pace outside but here you need to play reverse swing. If you go and check Rahane's footwork in 2015-16, you will realise that his footwork is not that definite. He is very tentative in his first 20 balls and whenever he plays a big innings, he is a lot more confident."
There is talk of Ajinkya Rahane being replaced by Hanuma Vihari in the middle order for India against England. Only time will tell whether the Indian vice-captain will get a longer rope or not.