"There was a question about him being selected for the last Test against England" - Aakash Chopra on Ajinkya Rahane being made captain for IND vs NZ series
Aakash Chopra has highlighted that Ajinkya Rahane has been appointed as the Indian captain for the first Test against New Zealand despite his spot being at stake after his poor run in England.
Rahane managed just 109 runs at a dismal average of 15.57 in four Tests in England. 61 of those runs came in the second innings of the Lord's Test and he failed to reach the 20-run mark in any of his other stints in the middle.
While reflecting on Ajinkya Rahane's appointment as captain in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra pointed out that the Mumbaikar might not have made it to the playing XI if the final Test had been played in England. He said:
"You have picked Ajinkya Rahane as the captain. But the truth is also that, let's be honest, there was a question about him being selected for the last Test against England if the match had happened."
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Ajinkya Rahane's average has hit a downward spiral over the last couple of years. Chopra elaborated:
"As much as I like Ajinkya Rahane, the fact is that the average has been seen falling down only. There has been an odd good knock in between for sure but the average has fallen 20 points in the last two years. Rahane's average has never gone so low."
Even Bumrah (15.75) averages more with the bat than Ajinkya Rahane (15.57) in this test series. #ENGvIND #ENGvsIND
Ajinkya Rahane has scored 644 runs at a lowly average of 24.76 in the last 15 Tests he has played for Team India since the beginning of 2020. His overall Test average has also fallen below 40 as a consequence.
"But at this moment, Ajinkya Rahane has been named the captain" - Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra highlighted that Ajinkya Rahane's vice-captaincy and place in the XI might also have been at stake if both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were available for the New Zealand Test series. He explained:
"If he had not made the half-century at Lord's - the partnership with Pujara in the second innings, it would have been a further point of discussion if you had to find a replacement for Ajju as well, if Rohit Sharma will be the vice-captain and Ajinkya might be put on notice. But at this moment, he has been named the captain."
#TeamIndia Test squad for the NZ series announced!
Mohammed Siraj and KS Bharat receive the national call-up. Good luck, lads! 🤜🤛
Ajinkya Rahane will captain 🇮🇳 for the first Test in Captain Kohli's absence, who will join the squad for the second Test.
#PlayBold #INDvNZ https://t.co/uE5UdeX73Z
The 44-year-old concluded by stating that the New Zealand series could be pivotal for Ajinkya Rahane's career. Chopra observed:
"It is a very important series for Rahane. He is there as a captain but he will have to score runs because there is pressure. The last one year has been really ordinary from his standards, by any standards actually."
With Kohli and Sharma not available for the first Test against New Zealand, the selectors might not have had any other option but to go with the experienced Rahane as skipper. However, the 33-year-old might have to make substantial contributions with the bat to be a part of the Indian team for the South Africa tour.