Forgotten Man Ajinkya Rahane Recalls MCG Ton Vs Australia Ahead Of BGT 2024-25
Rahane in action for India [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.Com]
Out-of-favour batter Ajinkya Rahane played a vital role in India’s series triumph in Australia back in January 2021. Apart from tactically marshalling his troops in the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli at the time, Rahane also charted an imperial 112 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the second Test of the series.
His batting masterclass set up India’s eight-wicket win at the iconic venue, as the visitors brought the series to levelling terms with two matches in hand. Hyping up India’s upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour of Australia, the official broadcasters of the series recently shared an old Ajinkya Rahane interview where the senior batter can be seen recollecting memories of his match-winning knock.
Ajinkya Rahane recalls MCG century vs Australia
While speaking on the Star Sports Network, Ajinkya Rahane recalled memories of his MCG epic from the 2020-21 Border Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia. He claimed that he loves confronting challenges, and some of his best knocks have occurred when Team India has found itself in difficult situations.
Former Australian cricketer and ex-SRH coach Tom Moody also praised Ajinkya Rahane for stepping up for the Indian team in the absence of Virat Kohli. Moody further stated that Rahane demonstrated excellent composure during his match-winning knock of 112 runs from 223 balls at the MCG.
Unfortunately for Ajinkya Rahane, he played the last of his 85 Test matches for Team India back in July 2023 at Port of Spain. A decline in form led to his ouster from the team, and he has since been grinding out in Indian and English domestic competitions to regain lost touch with the bat.
As of now, the seasoned Indian batter is leading Mumbai in the 2024 Ranji Trophy season. The Indian cricket team, meanwhile, is bracing itself to tour Australia in November for a fresh Border-Gavaskar Trophy assignment.